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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Health

22 March 2021

DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR
No. 2021 - 0138
TO : DIRECTORS OF CENTERS FOR HEALTH DEVELOPMENT
(CHDs), CHIEFS OF HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL CENTERS,
MINISTER OF HEALTH — BANGSAMORO AUTONOMOUS
REGION IN MUSLIM MINDANAO (MOH-BARMM), LOCAL
GOVERNMENT UNITS AND ALL DRUG OUTLETS
(LGU)

AND ESTABLISHMENTS

SUBJECT : End of XML File Format Support of the Electronic Drug Price
Monitoring System (EDPMS)

In Republic Act No. 9502, otherwise known as the “Universally Accessible Cheaper and
Quality Medicines Act of 2008,” the Secretary of Health (SOH) is mandated to establish and
initiate an electronic price monitoring and regulation system for drugs and medicines which
now known as the Electronic Drug Price Monitoring System (EDPMS). Currently, the EDPMS
is
requires all drug outlets and establishments to submit annual/quarterly inventory and price data
to the DOH using its offline version by default.

Over the years, it has been a challenge for the Department to utilize and validate all collected
data due to the erroneous inputs from the stakeholders. To minimize the occurrence of such
events, the Department initiated the development of EDPMS v.4 which provides control over
most incoming data to the system. However, upon assessment, the use and implementation of
EDPMS v.4 will affect the current data collection process from its stakeholders. In the new
version, XML file formats will no longer be accepted by the system.

In line with the above, the DOH shall no longer accept XML file format in the EDPMS
beginning 1 January 2022. All concerned drug outlets and establishments are hereby requested
to communicate with the Regional Drug Price Monitoring Officer (RDPMO) in your area to
schedule for an orientation of the EDPMS offline version.

For strict and prompt compliance.

GERARDO V/BAYUGO, MD, MPH, CESO 1

Undersecretary of Health
Health Regulation Team

Building 1, San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, 1003 Manila ® Trunk Line 651-7800 local 1108, 1111-1113
Direct Line: 711-9502; 711-9503 Fax: 743-1829 @ URL: http://www.doh.gov.ph; e-mail: fiduque@doh.gov.ph