DDB taps medical practitioners in its drive vs. illegal drugs

MANILA, Aug. 21 (PNA) -- The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) has tapped medical practitioners, pharmacists, and other allied professionals to win fresh drive against illegal drugs in the country.

DDB chairman Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said the help of these professionals plays an important role in the government’s demand reduction program against banned drugs.

“The law is merely the legal infrastructure within which we all have to work and operate. We need the cooperation of all sectors of society in this war on drugs,” Sotto said during a recent seminar on Republic Act 9165 and Board Regulations’ Update for Physicians, Pharmacists, and Allied Professionals held in UP Los Banos, Laguna.

“Laws, rules and regulations, and political will are not enough in this struggle. We need science behind our activities and you from the medical, pharmaceutical and allied professions are the source of our deeper understanding of the lure and cure of illegal drugs,” he said during the seminar participated in by hundreds of students, practitioners from the field of medicine, pharmaceutical and allied professions.

Sotto said that the medical and pharmaceutical practitioners provide the necessary support for the work of the DDB. “Their knowledge, insights, and intuitions will help us understand the enemy we are fighting.”

“In our information and awareness campaign against illegal drugs, we must be more creative and zero in on our target audience—the drug user and dependent,” the DDB head said.

DDB officials conducted the seminar to further intensify the cooperation of the agency to the medical practitioners and other allied professions as it reviews the law, the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

“Our people from the Dangerous Drugs Board are here to interact with you (seminar participants) on several areas of concern. We have already been working to develop consistent methods for our regulation of active pharmaceutical ingredients, and we are extending harmonization of our effort to other areas,” he said.

“We need your inputs as we review RA 9165 and make recommendations as we enhance the legal and political infrastructures within which we operate to achieve our vision of a drug-free Philippines ,” Sotto said.

Dr. Benjamin Reyes, supervising health program officer of the Office of Special Concern-Department of Health (OSC-DOH), said that drug addiction is a serious problem.

He said the medical community could help the DDB in its demand reduction program through information and education campaign, treatment and rehabilitation aspects, and after-care treatment. “Law enforcement is very essential but not enough to eradicate illegal drugs problem, and prevention through massive information and public awareness campaign can help a lot,” Reyes said.