Drugs, medicines, and other medical supplies worth over P134.3 million were found to have expired or were nearing expiration, with some still undistributed at the Department of Health (DoH), resulting in wasted government resources, according to the Commission on Audit (CoA).

A review of last year’s inventory report revealed that drugs, medicines, and medical supplies in various Centers for Health Development (CHD), totaling P34.82 million, were unused and expired in some government hospitals, resulting in waste. 

Under DoH Administrative Order 2016-0008, medicines and drugs past their expiration date should be disposed of, as they may be unsuitable for use and there was no guarantee of their quality.

Audit findings further revealed that other medical inventories amounting to P99.47 million were unutilized and undistributed, in violation of Section 2 of Presidential Decree 1445, which mandates safeguarding all government resources from loss or waste.

State auditors found that some of the medicines had expired due to, among other things, excess supplies or overstocking, when the resources “could have been better used to support health programs for the poor.”

“Overstocked or slow-moving drugs and medicines are exposed to the risk of possible wastage,” the CoA said. “Furthermore, maintaining excessive supplies entails additional costs to the government in terms of manpower and warehouse space.” 

Caloocan hospital tops list

Of the P134.3 million in 2024, the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in Caloocan City accounted for the largest share of expired and almost-expired drugs and medicines, at P200,178.46 and P35,881,849.63, respectively. 

This was attributed to the hospital’s failure to strictly monitor expiration dates, in violation of the DoH Warehouse Operations Manual, which mandates the proper management of health supplies and the counter-checking of drug and medicine expiry dates.

A total of 1.75 million expired drugs and medicines were also logged at Valenzuela Medical Center, while 9.88 million in near-expiry medications and treatments were found at CHD in the Ilocos Region. 

At Batangas Medical Center, 3.41 million worth of drugs and medicines had expired, and 24.45 million were nearing expiration. 

Eastern Visayas CHD likewise recorded a total of 19.14 million and 18.04 million expired medicines and drugs, respectively, while the Western Visayas CHD had 12.11 million of near-expiry medical items.

The Southern Philippines Medical Center, the largest state hospital operated by the DoH, reported 7.46 million expired drugs and medicines.

This was not the first time the CoA flagged the DoH over millions, if not billions, of expired medicines, despite the need of many underprivileged Filipinos for free medication.

It has been a recurring concern raised by state auditors to the department over the years, yet it remained unaddressed.

In 2023, over P11.2 billion in expired drugs and medicines, including 24,539 bags of donated dialysis solutions and over 7.03-million vials of Covid-19 vaccines, were found to have expired in its warehouses and health facilities. 

In 2022, the auditing body also discovered more than P7.43 billion in expired, near-expired, damaged, and undistributed medicines.

These are only some of the many recurring reports of expired medicines issued by the CoA against the DoH.