Philippine Institute of Traditional and

Alternative Health Care (PITAHC)

“Mainstreaming of T&CM in the Universal Health Care”

DR. ANNABELLE P. DE GUZMAN, FPAFP, MHA, MA Med (UK), CESE

Director General
March 26-28, 2019

Department of Health, Philippines

 • People’s health through traditional and
alternative health care.
Vision

• We lead in the research and development,

promotion, and advocacy and
development of standards on traditional
and complementary medicine (T&CM);
and we ensure its accessibility, availability,
Mission sustainability, and integration into the
national health care system.

Department of Health, Philippines

 • Conduct, coordinate and manage research studies
on T&CM policies, products, services and
technologies.
Thrusts • Develop standards for specific T&CM practices.
• Manage knowledge and information for the
promotion and utilization of T&CM products,
services and technologies.

• MFO1 Research and Development Services

MFOs • MFO2 Technical Advisory and Advocacy Services
• MFO3 Regulation of Traditional and Alternative
Medicine Practice

Department of Health, Philippines

Proper regulation is essential to the provision of quality, safe and effective
T&CM services. This is particularly important in rural areas where T&CM is
sometime the only affordable and available source of health care. Not all
practitioners are qualified to practice T&CM and the lack of regulatory
framework hinders PITAHC from weeding out such unqualified practitioners.
Units Types Numbers Certified/ Accredited (2018)
Practitioners Acupuncturist 959
Chiropractor 47
Homeopaths 32
Naturopaths 22

TOTAL 1,052
Training Institutions Acupuncture, Homeopathy & 14
Naturopathy
Facilities/Clinics -do- 41
Organizations -do- 10

Department of Health, Philippines

• T&CM services integrated in 2 DOH-retained Hospitals: Amang Rodriguez
Memorial and Medical Center , Region 2 Trauma and Medical Center

• Acupuncture trainings conducted in DOH –retained Hospitals and LGU

facilities (9 trainings)

• Development of standards (competency standards, code of ethics) for T&CM

modalities : Acupuncture, Chiropractic, Homeopathy/Homotoxicology,
Naturopathy, Tuina Massage, and Hilot

• Clinical research on safety and efficacy/benefits of T&CM modalities

• 5 Herbal Medicines (sambong, lagundi, tsaang gubat, akapulko and yerba

buena) included in the Philippine National Drug Formulary (PNDF)

Department of Health, Philippines

Pain Points/Gaps:
• Lack of Regulatory power/enforcement to regulate the practice of T&CM

• Non-inclusion of T&CM in the National Objectives for Health (NOH)

• Non-inclusion of T&CM in Philhealth’s Benefit Package; No reimbursement

for TAHC services from Philhealth

. Non-inclusion of T&CM programs in the DOH Regional Office Programs

• Weak linkages with other Government regulatory agencies

• Sustainability of T&CM implementation in DOH-retained Hospitals

• Lack of expertise to conduct research on T&CM modalities

Department of Health, Philippines

Results of the Round Table Discussion
A. Integration of T&CM in Service Delivery Units

 Establish Traditional and Complementary (T&CM) Units in all DOH-retained

hospitals thru an MOU between PITAHC and DOH retained-Hospitals

 Pilot site implementation in receptive DOH and LGU facilities:

Luzon – Batangas Medical Center
Visayas – Vicente Sotto Memorial and Medical Center
Mindanao - Southern Philippines Medical Center

Department of Health, Philippines

Results of the Round Table Discussion
B. Areas for Integration of T&CM

 Integration of T&CM modalities in the SDN framework for inclusion in the

Philhealth benefit package

 Inclusion of T&CM indicators in the National Objectives for Health (NOH) and
other DOH Goals and targets

 Provision of human resources and budget for T&CM integration at National

and Regional DOH budgets

 Integration of T&CM in medical and allied health curriculum and offering of

short courses in autonomous colleges/universities

Department of Health, Philippines

Results of the Round Table Discussion
C. Regulation of T&CM

 Option 1 : PITAHC to license T&CM practitioners and facilities

- Amend TAMA Law/IRR
- Revisit existing certification and accreditation
standards/guidelines

 Option 2 : Explore the possibility for PRC and DOH-HFSRB to regulate

T&CM practitioners and facilities
- Co-develop licensing standards for practitioners with PRC
and facilities with HFSRB

 Coordination with LGUs (Business Permit Licensing Office, MHO/CHO) on

PITAHC certification and accreditation for T&CM modalities

Department of Health, Philippines

Results of the Round Table Discussion

 Strengthen linkages with concerned government regulatory

agencies (i.e. DOLE, BI, DOJ, DILG, PRC)

 Majority of the stakeholders present during the RTD are in

consensus that PITAHC in terms of integration of T&CM in national
health care is moving forward on a framework of a semi-
integrated to full integrated health system (medium-term) and
eventually to a parallel health system (long- term)

Department of Health, Philippines

Results of the Round Table Discussion
D. Inclusion of T&CM in Philhealth Benefit Package

 Develop evidence for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of T&CM

modalities

 Develop Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) for T&CM modalities

 Contract out or Commission research institutions to co-develop Philhealth

benefit package for T&CM modalities

Department of Health, Philippines

Policy Option 1
Amendment of the TAMA Law (R.A. 8423), to grant PITAHC full
regulatory power/functions on the practice of T&CM Modalities specifically
on the licensure of T&CM practitioners and facilities.

T&CM Regulatory Practices in other Countries

WHO has identified four (4) types of health system structures in relation to
T&CM

1. TOLERANT Health System – Health Care is based entirely on

conventional medicine and T&CM are not officially recognized (Canada, UK,
other African countries)

Department of Health, Philippines

Policy Option 1
2. INCLUSIVE Health System – recognizes T&CM but has not
incorporated into all aspects of health care (Philippines, and other
Southeast Asian countries)
3. INTEGRATIVE Health System – T&CM is officially recognized and
incorporated into all areas of health care provision (China, Korea and
Vietnam)
4. PARALLEL Health System – T&CM are widely used, more than 50% of
the population access these services and regulation are totally separate
for allopathic medicine and T&CM modalities (India)

Department of Health, Philippines

Policy Option 2
Transition Phase : In the meantime that the TAMA Law has not been
amended to include regulatory functions, strategies will focus on the
following:
 Mainstreaming of T&CM in academic institutions
 Integration of T&CM trainings in DOH-retained Hospitals, DOH Regional Offices and
LGU Facilities
 Establish Traditional and Complementary (T&CM) Units in all DOH-retained hospitals
* Pilot site implementation in receptive DOH and LGU facilities:
Luzon – Batangas Medical Center
Visayas – Vicente Sotto Memorial and Medical Center
Mindanao - Southern Philippines Medical Center
 Sustainability through creation of regular plantilla position for Acupuncturist

Department of Health, Philippines

Policy Option 2
 FDA to license the products but using the PITAHC standards and guidelines
developed

 PRC and DOH-HFSRB license the practitioners and facilities using the PITAHC
standards and guidelines developed. However, DOH-HFSRB may deputize
PITAHC to license T&CM facilties

Department of Health, Philippines

Expected Outputs

Revised RA 8423 and its IRR

DOH Administrative Order
DOH Department Order
MOA, MOU

Department of Health, Philippines

Timeline of the Reform

PITAHC
Reorganizational
Structure

2019 2021 2023

- Amended RA
• Proposed
amendment of
8423 and its IRR
- Commission 2022 Parallel Regulatory
RA 8423; research System
• UHC IRR;
• Inclusion in the
2020 institutions to co-
develop
NOH; and Philhealth benefit
• Integration into package for
the SDN T&CM modalities
•

Department of Health, Philippines

Maraming salamat po!