Patients With Gout/Arthritis To Receive Free Maintenance Medicines By The Middle Of The Year –DOH

The Department of Health (DOH) has announced that people suffering from gout or arthritis can also soon avail themselves of free maintenance medicines for it from the government.

Health Secretary Janette L. Garin said that by March of this year, those who have gout/arthritis problems may go to the DOH’s rural health units (RHUs) so that they can be examined and evaluated by physicians for inclusion among the recipients of free medicines that will be distributed to patients who will form the “Arthritis Club.”

The launching of the “Arthritis Club” will be held in March, but the members will start receiving free Allopurinol and Colchicine medicines by the middle of the year, Secretary Garin said.

Allopurinol is used to treat gout, high levels of uric acid in the body caused by certain cancer medications, and kidney stones.

On the other hand, Colchicine is a medication most commonly used to treat gout. It is a toxic natural product and secondary metabolite, originally extracted from plants of the genus Colchicum. Adverse effects are primarily gastrointestinal upset at high doses.

Prior to this, the agency also started the creation of Hypertension and Diabetes Club (HDC) among hypertensive and diabetic patients last December 2015.

Maintenance medicines of patients registered in the HDC whose conditions were examined by physicians in the RHUs started to be provided with regular medications for free with the start of the year.

The free medications for hypertension are Losartan, Amlodipine, and Metoprolol.

For diabetic patients, the Metformin medication is being provided.

In addition, the DOH is also currently determining the list of poor patients who will be qualified to receive free insulin medications.

According to Secretary Garin, they are purchasing the said medications in volume with the twin objectives of reducing the price and at the same time as a way to ensure that the health needs of the people are given proper attention, especially those who have other out-of-pocket expenditures and suffering from multiple illnesses.

The clubs that are formed will also be providing the patients ways to ensure regular monitoring of their conditions as a way of preventing worst complications.

At the same time, with the regular monitoring, the patients can also be further educated on healthy lifestyle.(PNA) SCS/LSJ