RA 5921

An Act Regulating the Practice of Pharmacy and Setting Standards of Pharmaceutical

Education in the Philippines and for Other Purposes
Article 1: Objectives and
Implementation

labs, and hospital pharmacies for pharmacy

internship.

Section 1 Objectives
Standardization and regulation of
pharmaceutical education
Examination for registration of graduates of
schools of pharmacy
Supervision, control and regulation of the
practice of pharmacy (in the Phil)

Section 5 Meetings and travelling expenses

Meet at least once a month and as often as
the Council may decide
Chairman and members not entitled to any
compensation except: travelling expenses
connected to official duties

Section 2 Enforcement
Council of Pharmaceutical Education
Board of Pharmacy

Article 3: The Board of Pharmacy and

Examination and Registration of
Pharmacists

Article 2: The Council of Pharmaceutical

Education
Section 3 The Council of Pharmaceutical
Education and its Composition
1. Secretary of Education
2. Chairman
3. Undersecretary of health services
4. Food and Drug Administrator
5. Chairman of the Board of Pharmacy
6. Dean of the College of Pharmacy of UP
7. Dean of a college of pharmacy (representing
duly accredited pvt schools of pharmacy)
8. Rep of the bona fide national pharmaceutical
organizations in the Phil.
Incumbent upon all deans of duly accredited
colleges of pharmacy (of private colleges and
universities) by agreement to promulgate rules
and regulations regarding selection of one from
among their group to represent them in the CPE
Incumbent upon all presidents of bona fide
national
pharmaceutical
organizations
by
agreement to promulgate rules and regulations
regarding selection of one from among them to
represent them in the CPE
Section 4 Functions
1. Promulgate rules and regulations (relative to
PharmEd in PH)
2. Submit such rules and regulations for
implementation to the proper agencies:
DepEd, Board of Pharmacy, bona fide national
pharmaceutical organizations in the PH
3. Recognize and accredit colleges of pharmacy
in different private colleges and univs
4. Approve
accreditation
of
community
pharmacies, pharmaceutical manufacturing

Section 6 The Board of Pharmacy and its

Composition
Chairman + 2 members
Appointed by the President with consent of
the Commission of Appointments from a list
of nominees given by the Commissioner of
Civil Service who shall secure such lists from
bona fide professional national organizations
of pharmacists
Section 7 Qualification of Board Members
1. Natural born citizen of the Philippines
2. Duly registered pharmacist, has been in
practice for at least 10 years
3. Good moral character, recognized standing
in the profession
4. At the time of appointment, not a member of
the faculty of any school, college or
university offering courses in pharmacy; nor
have any direct or indirect pecuniary
interests in such school or college of
pharmacy
5. Member of good standing of any bona fide
national pharmaceutical association
Section 8 Tenure of Office and Fees of Board
Members
Chairman + members : 3 years after
appointment until successors shall have been
appointed and duly qualified
Members of the first board shall hold office
for the following terms:
o
Chairman: 3 years
o
Member 1: 2 years
o
Member 2: 1 year
Chairman or member may be reappointed for
another term of 3 years but not for more
than six consecutive years
Most senior member shall be Chairman

Chairman and members shall receive 10

pesos for each applicant examined (whether
or not he is already in the govt service when
appointed)

Section 9 Removal of the Board Members

May be removed by the President on the ff
grounds:
o
Neglect of duty
o
Incompetence
o
Malpractice
o Unprofessional, unethical, immoral or
dishonorable conduct
Opportunity to defend himself in a proper
administrative investigation
President may suspend such member under
investigation
Period of suspension shall not exceed 60
days, automatic reinstatement of the
member thereafter
Section 10 Executive Officer of the Board
Commissioner of Civil Service = Executive
Officer: shall conduct the exam given by it
according to the rules and regulations
promulgated by him and approved by the
Pres.
Secretary of the Board of Examiners =
Secretary of the Board: shall keep all records
of the board including exam papers, minutes
of deliberation and records of administrative
proceedings
The ff shall be appointed from the ranking
employees of the board of examiners:
o Assistant Secretary: 8,832
o Legal Officer: 7, 236
o Records Officer: 5, 928
Section 11 Powers and Duties of the Board
1. Examine applicants for pharmacy practice
2. Issue
certificates
of
registration
of
pharmacists
3. Reprimand any pharmacist or suspend or
revoke certificate of reg on grounds provided
in sec. 13 after formal administrative
investigation
4. Promulgate rules and regulations for
effective enforcement of this Act (subject to
approval of Pres. upon advice of CSC)
5. Study conditions affecting pharmacy practice
in Phil
6. Check employment of qualified personnel in
drug stores, hospital pharmacies, drug or
pharmaceutical labs, cosmetic labs, etc (from
which the board may designate inspectors
from the Board of Pharmacy )
7. Encourage development of botanical gardens
and their inspection, Philippine medicinal
plants, in partnership with Dept. of
Agriculture and Natural Resources

Section
12

Detailmen,
Requirements,
Qualifications, Fees
Any detailmen shall be required, at the
beginning of each year, to register with the
Board that he is employed as such
o Preferably graduate of a college of pharmacy
o Initial
fee
of
20
pesos
upon
registration, 15 pesos thereafter for
renewal
o Incumbent
upon
the
drug
establishments
to
require
that
detailmen
employed
or
to
be
employed by them possess the
necessary credentials issued by the
Board
A detailman is one who represents any duly
authorized manufacturer, dealer, distributor,
representative
or
wholesaler
of
drugs,
pharmaceuticals, biologic products and devices,
whose primary duty is to introduce or reacquaint
a product or products prepared, distributed or
made by said manufacturers, dealer, distributor,
representative or wholesaler to the physician,
dentist, pharmacist, veterinarian or any other
qualified person and which forms part of their
program for promotion by describing its use,
composition, action, dosage, administration,
contraindication, advantages and other salient
information relative to said drug, pharmaceutical,
biological product or device.
Section 13 Grounds for Reprimand, Suspension,
or Revocation of Registrant Certificate
1. Conviction by a court of competent
jurisdiction of any violation as penalized in
Sec. 40-41
2. Immoral/dishonorable conduct, includes
conviction by competent court of any
criminal offense involving moral turpitude
3. Fraud/deceit in acquisition of certificate of
reg.
4. Gross negligence, ignorance/incompetence in
the practice resulting in injury, damage, or
death of another
5. Malpractice, including aiding or abetting the
commission of criminal abortion or sex
crimes through illegal compounding,
dispensing or sale of abortive or sex drugs
6. Acting as dummy of an alien, not qualified to
operate a retail drugstore
7. Addiction to alcoholic bev. or to habit-forming
drugs rendering him incompetent for practice
8. Insanity
9. False/extravagant/unethical advertisements:
things other than name, profession,
limitation of practice, office/home address
are mentioned
10. Violations of any provision of the Code of
Ethics

Section 14 Administrative Investigation

Conducted by all members of the Board
sitting en banc
Existing rules of evidence shall be observed
as far as practicable during administrative
investigations
If board finds that charges are sustained by
evidence, it may reprimand the responded or
revoke/suspend certificate of registration
In case of suspension: not more than 6
months
Revoked: after expiration of 6 months and
upon application, issue a new certificate of
registration in place of a revoked certificate
w/o needing to take exam if respondent has
conducted himself in exemplary manner.
Section 15 Procedure and Rules
Board of Pharmacy furnishes copy of
complaint upon receipt to any pharmacist
Pharmacist shall answer within 10 days from
receipt
If the Board finds valid grounds to the
charge, it will conduct formal investigation
setting the dates of hearing
Subpoena or subpoena duces tecum may be
issued by the Chairman
Proceedings shall be at all times recorded
Investigation shall be terminated and
resolved within 90 days from time of first
date of hearing has been set and heard
Section 16 Right of Respondent
Entitled to be heard by himself or be
represented by counsel
Have a speedy and public hearing to confront
and to cross-examine witnesses against him
Summon and present witnesses in his behalf
Protection of his individual or civil rights
Section 17 Appeal from Judgment
Decision of the Board becomes final 30 days
from notice to respondent, unless he appeals
to the President
Section 18 Candidate for Board Examination
Natural-born citizen of the Phil
Has good moral character
Completed Internship Program: at least 960
hours (half spent equally distributed in a
prescription pharmacy, pharmaceutical
manuf lab, and hospital pharmacy duly
accredited by the Council of Pharmacy;
remaining hours spent in any or all of the
said establishments)
Prescription pharmacy, pharm manuf lab, hospital
pharmacy keep separate record of Pharmacy

students who have undergone internship directly

under their control, issue a proper certificate of
said hours of internship. Also a duty of said
establishments to submit annually a complete
report of the names of those who have
undergone training under their supervision and
the corresponding number of hours of internship
credit of each of the pharmacy students to their
respective colleges or school and to the board of
pharmacy for proper accreditation

Graduated with degree of BS Pharmacy or w/

an equivalent degree from a school, college
or university duly accredited by the Council
of Pharmaceutical Education, not less than 5
acad years.

Section 19 Scope of the Examination

Theoretical
o Chemistry (30%)
Gen, Inorganic, Pharmaceutical, Physical Chem
Organic & Medicinal or Pharm Chem
Quali, Quanti and Drug Assaying
o Biological Sciences (20%)
Physiology and Biochem
Micro and PH
Pcol and toxi
o Pharmacy (50%)
Botany and Pcog
General Pharmacy
Compounding and Dispensing
Physical and Manufacturing Pharmacy
Pharmacy Administration
Pharmaceutical Juris and Ethics
Practical
o Identification and Analysis of Drugs (30%)
o Preparation of Official Pharmaceuticals
o Compounding and Dispensing
Prescriptions and Fixing of Prices of
Prescriptions
o Manufacturing Pharmacy and QC
Duty of the Board to prepare sched of the
theoretical and practical exams and syllabus of
each subject given two months before dates of
examination
Section 20 Ratings Required
75% or over in both theoretical and practical
exams
No ratings below 50% in more than 2
subjects in the theoretical exams
Candidate who passed theoretical exam but
failed in the practicals may repeat only the
practicals, vice versa
Candidate who fails to pass the theoretical or
practical exam in 3 consecutive attempts
shall not be admitted in the 4th exam unless
a certification is presented to the board that

he had enrolled and undergone pre-board

review course from duly accredited college of
Pharmacy
Section 21 Holding of Exam
Twice a year
Manila
Environment as the Board may fix
Section 22 Fees for Examination and
Registration
50 pesos after passing Board exams
Each cert of registration 20 pesos
Each duplicate 10 pesos

Article 4: Practice of Pharmacy

Section 23 Definition of Practice of Pharmacy
For fee, salary, percentage, or other reward
paid or given directly to himself or indirectly
through another
Prepare or manufacture, analyze, assay,
preserve, store, distribute or sell any
medicine, drug, chemicals, cosmetics,
pharmaceuticals, devices or contrivances
Render pharmaceutical service in any office
or drug and cosmetic establishment where
Pharmacy knowledge is applied
Engage in teaching scientific, technological,
professional pharmacy in a college of
pharmacy
Scientific pharmaceutical research for
biological and bacteriological testings and
examinations
Persons performing executive managerial or
administrative functions and their
subordinate personnel employed in the
pharmaceutical labs not considered
practicing pharmacy
Section 24 Prerequisite for the Practice of
Pharmacy
At least 21 years old
Passed the examination given by the Board
of Pharmacy
Has a valid certificate of registration issued
by the Board
Section 25 Sale of Medicine, Pharmaceuticals,
Drugs and Devices
No medicine, pharmaceutical, or drug or
device shall be compounded, dispensed, sold
or resold, or be made available to the public
except through a prescription drugstore or
hospital pharmacy
Pharmaceutical, drug or biological
manufacturing establishments, importers
and wholesalers of drugs, medicines, or
biologic products may sell their products only

at wholesale to duly est. retail drugstore or

hospital pharmacy
Section 26 Markings and Inhibition to the Sale of
Drug Samples
No sample drug, biological product, device or
proprietary medicine, given or intended to be
given for free to the physician and other
qualified person by any manufacturer or
distributor may be sold
Sample, not for sale appear
conspicuously on the container, package or
carton of the drug or device to be given
Section 27 Pharmacist Required and
Compensation
Every pharmacy, drugstore or hospital
pharmacy whether government owned or
private shall be under personal and
immediate supervision of RPh at all times
when open for business
No pharmacist shall have personal
supervision of more than one such
establishment
In case there are shifts, each shift must be
under supervision and control of RPh
Pharmaceutical laboratories or similar
establishments engaged in the repackaging,
manufacture or sale of drugs, biologic
products and pharmaceutical products: each
respective operation (preparation, QC,
repackaging) shall be under direct and
immediate supervision of RPh or sale of
pharmaceuticals at wholesale shall also be
under immediate supervision of RPh
practicing only in such establishment
Every pharmacist employed in any of the
establishments mentioned whose
capitalization is not less than 10, 000 pesos
shall receive a minimum compensation
similar to that of government pharmacists
Section 28 Display of Certificate Required
Prominent and conspicuous place in
pharmacy, drugstore, hospital pharmacy or
drug establishment which he operates or in
which he is employed
No pharmacist shall with his knowledge allow
his certificate of registration to be displayed
in such establishments when he is not
actually employed or operating therein
Section 29 Responsibility for quality of drugs
Pharmaceuticals or poisons sold in original
packings and seal has not been broken or
tampered with: liability due to quality and
purity rests upon the manufacturer or in his
absence, importer, distributor, representative
or dealer who was responsible for their
distribution or sale

Unlawful to manufacture, prepare, sell or

administer any prescription, drug,
pharmaceutical or poison under any
fraudulent name, direction or pretense or to
adulterate any drug, pharmaceutical,
medicine or poison so used, sold or offered
for sale
Adulterated if it differs from the standard of
quality or purity given in the USP or NF, both
in their latest edition or in any standard
reference for drugs and medicines given
official recognition and those which fall within
the meaning as provided for in the FDC Act:
RA3720

Section 30 Filling and Refilling of Prescription

No Rx shall be filled or compounded except
by RPh in the employ of the drugstore or
pharmacy
Incumbent upon pharmacist to see to it that
every component of the Rx meets the
standard of purity and quality given in the
standard references
Students undergoing pharmaceutical
internship may assist in the compounding
and dispensing of the Rx
No prescription shall be refilled except upon
express order of the person prescribing
Section 31 Label of Dispensed Medicine
Upon every box, bottle, or other package
containing medicine sold or dispensed based
on Rx: pasted seal of label bearing the ff
o Name and address of pharmacy
o Names and quantities of ingredients
o Required doses
o Expiration date
o Name of presciber
o Date and number of Rx
o Direction for use
Warning may be habit forming included in
the label if there is any quantity of a drug
which is habit forming or a derivative of such
drug
For external use only black ink in red
label, bottom of the label (including
components of the Rx)
Section 32 Record Books for Prescription
All prescriptions dispensed shall be recorded
in the book
Indicate name of manufacturer, original
stock, lot and control numbers of the main
ingredients of the prescriptions
The book shall be open to inspection by
proper authorities at any time of the day
during operation hours of the pharmacy
Must be preserved for 2 years

All prescription shall be attached to the book

for prescriptions, numbered consecutively,
kept for same length of time as the
prescription book

Section 33 Inhibition Against Use of Cipher or

Unusual Terms in Prescription
Switching
Recipes or formulas written in ciphers, codes
or secret keys or unusual names of drugs
shall not be compounded or dispensed
No pharmacist dispensing or compounding
prescriptions shall substitute the drug or
drugs called for in the Rx with any other drug
or substance without prior consultation with
and a written consent of the prescriber
Section 34 41 Read copy
Section 42 Definition of Terms
Drug or Pharmaceutical Laboratory or
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Laboratory
establishment where pharmaceuticals,
proprietary medicines or pharmaceutical
specialties are prepared, compounded,
standardized and distributed or sold
Wholesaler every person who acts as a
jobber, merchant, broker or agent, who sells
or distributes for resale pharmaceuticals,
proprietary medicines or pharmaceutical
specialties
Drug articles recognized in the official USP,
official Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the US
or official NF, or any of their supplements;
articles intended for use in the diagnosis,
cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of
disease in man or animals; articles (other
than food) intended for use as a component
of an articles specified in clauses 1, 2, 3but
not include devices or their components,
parts or accessories
Pharmaceuticals, Proprietary Medicines or
Pharmaceutical Specialties drug,
preparation or mixture of drugs marked
under a trade name and intended for the
cure, mitigation or prevention of disease in
man or animals
Device instruments, apparatus or
contrivances including their components,
parts and accessories, intended for use in the
diagnosis, cure, mitigation treatment or
prevention of disease in man or animals;
effect the structure of any function of the
body of man or animals
Biologic products viruses, sera, toxins and
analogous products used for the prevention
of cure of human diseases

Poison any drug, active principle, or

preparation of the same, capable of
destroying life or seriously endangering
health when applied externally to the body or
introduced internally in moderate doses
Cipher method of secret writing that
substitutes other letters or characters for the
letter intended or transposes the letter after
arranging them in blocks or squares

Code system of words or other symbols

arbitrarily used to represent words
Secret keys characteristics style or symbols
kept from the knowledge of other or
disclosed confidentially to but one of few
Section 43 -46 Read Copy
EO 174 Read Copy