The Department of Health (DOH) has issued several directives to address supply concerns and ensure the smooth rollout of newly arrived antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.

The DOH said a shipment of 455,188 bottles of antiretroviral drugs—the first partial tranche of a 1.2-million-unit procurement—arrived in the Philippines and was inspected on 10 July.

The department ordered that all succeeding shipments undergo thorough inspection to ensure they are safe, effective, of high quality, and fully compliant with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards before being distributed to patients.

Following the successful inspection on 10 July, the DOH directed the immediate mobilization and distribution of the 455,188 bottles to designated treatment hubs, with the rollout set to begin next week.

The department said the temporary two-week supply rationing implemented by some treatment hubs will be lifted, with public hospitals instructed to intensify the rollout and provide eligible patients with a three-month supply of medication per visit.

Public health facilities were also directed to simplify and streamline consultation and dispensing processes to enable persons living with HIV (PLHIV) to access free medication more quickly and without unnecessary bureaucratic delays.

The DOH logistics team was likewise tasked with closely monitoring supplier PhilPharmawealth to ensure that the remaining tranches arrive on schedule between August and September 2026, preventing future supply disruptions.

The inspection was conducted at the iGLOO Supply Chain facility in Marikina City and covered 455,188 bottles of Lamivudine + Tenofovir + Dolutegravir (LTD/TLD), the country's recommended first-line antiretroviral regimen.

The entire 1.2-million-unit procurement, awarded to PhilPharmawealth, is intended to support an estimated 97,000 persons living with HIV nationwide.