Expedite registration of traditional meds vs COVID, Duterte tells FDA

President Duterte has called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expedite the registration process for traditional medicines that can help in the efforts to fight the new coronavirus disease.

In the wake of recent police raids on illegal clinics treating Chinese patients with suspected coronavirus, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the President wants regulatory authorities to determine whether the traditional medicine being used by the Chinese are safe and effective.

If the efficacy of traditional medicines is proven, Roque said these products could be registered and made available to the public.

“Bukod doon sa pagpapatupad ng batas, isa pa po na ipinag-utos ng Presidente ay yung mabilis na registration ng mga traditional medicine (Apart from enforcing the law, one of the President’s orders is to hasten the registration of traditional medicine),” Roque said in an interview over ANC’s Headstart program Wednesday about the reports on the underground Chinese-operated clinics raided by authorities.

“Alam ninyo, bagamat paglabag sa batas natin talagang hinuhuli ‘yan at pinapasara, huwag natin kalimutan na baka naman dahil ginagamot silang mga Tsino ay mayroon silang mga gumagana na mga produkto (You know although these are against the law, they are apprehended and shut down, let us not forget that the medicine being used by the Chinese may actually be effective),” he added.

Roque recognized that the Chinese have more experience in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and have long used traditional medicine to manage various illnesses.

Given the different registration processes for western and traditional medicine, he said the President wants the procedures for the latter “expedited.”

“We want to find out if the traditional medicines really work so we can also use them but they must be registered first with the FDA,” he said in Pilipino.

On the alleged proliferation of illegal clinics catering to Chinese nationals, Roque assured the public that the government will implement the law, saying such facilities cannot operate without the proper permits.

“There is a law that medicine cannot be practiced without being admitted or being allowed by the Professional Regulatory Commission and that medicines will not be marketed without registration with the FDA,” he said.

Roque also made clear that no foreigner can practice the medical profession in the country.

“The practice of (medical) profession is still exclusively to Filipinos although the WTO (World Trade Organization) wishes to open that. But hindi pa nangyayari yan (but that has not yet happened),” he said.

“The important thing is as far as the President is concerned, we must look into whether the traditional medicines are effective. If they are effective, let us register them and try using them to treat patients. But we cannot do it until we have studied if they really work or not,” he said in Pilipino.

The police recently raided an illegal clinic in Makati City that was allegedly treating some Chinese patients for coronavirus symptoms. Two suspected Chinese doctors were arrested while several rapid test kits and Chinese medicines were confiscated during the operation.

Other illegal coronavirus clinics found in Parañaque and Clark, Pampanga have also been shut down by authorities.