View into a pharmacy (for illustrative purposes only) | Stock Photo / Canva
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Finding out whether a needed medicine is available in a pharmacy may soon become easier for Cebu City residents if a proposed ordinance requiring drugstores to provide real-time inventory access gains approval from the City Council.
Councilor Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa has filed a measure that would mandate all pharmacies and drugstores in the city to install computer terminals that allow customers to check the availability of medicines not only in a specific branch but also in other branches operating within Cebu City.
The proposed ordinance, titled the “Real-Time Inventory of Medicines in Pharmacies Ordinance,” has been included in the agenda for discussion during the Cebu City Council’s regular session on June 9.
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If enacted, the measure would require covered pharmacies and drugstores to maintain at least one publicly accessible computer terminal where customers can search for medicines by either generic or brand name and immediately determine whether a product is available in-store or in another branch.
Improving access to medicine
Abellanosa anchored the proposal on the constitutional right to health and the local government’s mandate to promote public welfare.
In the ordinance, he noted that pharmacies play a critical role in delivering health services and ensuring access to medicines.
“The establishment of a publicly accessible computer terminal displaying available medicine in a pharmacy’s inventory will promote efficiency and convenience to consumers and better access to essential medicines to the City’s constituents,” the proposed ordinance states.
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The measure particularly seeks to assist senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), pregnant women, and patients who often have to go from one pharmacy to another in search of prescribed medicines.
Under the proposal, pharmacies would need to adopt systems that allow the public to readily determine the availability of medicines before proceeding to another outlet.
How the system would work
The ordinance defines a computer terminal as any desktop computer, touchscreen kiosk, tablet, or similar digital device accessible to customers within a pharmacy.
The system must display the real-time availability of all medicines sold in the branch and across other branches under the same ownership or management operating within Cebu City.
Drugstores would also have to ensure that inventory information remains regularly updated and accurate.
Pharmacy personnel must also undergo training to assist customers in using the system.
The proposal covers both over-the-counter medicines and prescription drugs.
Exemptions for smaller pharmacies
While the ordinance seeks broad coverage, it also recognizes that some smaller pharmacies may face difficulties in complying with the requirement.
Under the proposal, drugstores with capitalization below a threshold that the Cebu City Health Department (CHD) will determine through implementing rules and regulations may apply for exemption.
However, pharmacies operating three or more branches would automatically fall under the ordinance and could not seek exemption, regardless of capitalization.
Penalties and enforcement
The proposed measure outlines escalating penalties for establishments that fail to comply.
Violators would face:
₱3,000 fine for the first offense, with an option to settle through a P1,500 compromise fee;₱4,000 fine for the second offense; and₱5,000 fine for the third and succeeding offenses, along with the revocation of the establishment’s business permit.
The CHD, in coordination with the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO), would oversee implementation and enforcement.
The CHD would also have 60 days from the ordinance’s effectivity to draft the implementing rules and regulations.
Potential impact
If approved, the measure would introduce one of the city’s most consumer-oriented health access initiatives in recent years.
Patients often spend hours searching multiple pharmacies for maintenance medicines, specialty drugs, or emergency prescriptions, particularly during periods of supply shortages.
A centralized, real-time inventory display could significantly reduce unnecessary travel, waiting time, and transportation costs while helping consumers locate medicines more efficiently.
The proposal could also encourage pharmacies to modernize inventory management systems and improve coordination among branches.
However, council deliberations are expected to tackle potential implementation costs, technological requirements, and compliance concerns, particularly among smaller independent drugstores.
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