DOH flagged over P11.2-B expired drugs, COVID vax

The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Department of Health (DOH) over P11.2 billion worth of medicines, medical supplies, as well as COVID-19 vaccines found expired in its warehouses and health facilities last year.

- By ELIZABETH MARCELO

"Drugs, medicines and medical supplies amounting to P11,186,368,902.47, which include 7,035,161 vials of COVID-19 vaccines, expired in the DOH warehouses and health facilities without being utilized due to inadequate procurement planning and poor distribution and monitoring systems, which resulted in wastage of government funds and resources," the COA said in its 2023 annual audit report on the DOH.

The audit body said this was on top of P65.444 million in "nearly expiring inventories" found "unutilized and undistributed" in DOH offices and health facilities as of Dec. 31 last year.

State auditors noted that these nearly expiring drugs and medicines, which remained under the DOH inventories, have a shelf life of less than one year, thus exposing government funds to another possible wastage.