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MANILA, Philippines – To prevent hoarding amid the ongoing COVID-19 surge, the Philippine government has imposed a limit on how much of certain types of medicines a person or household can buy at any time.

Acting Presidential Spokesman and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles explained the new rule during a Malacañang press briefing on Tuesday, January 11.

The purchase limits cover medicines used to alleviate symptoms that a COVID-19 case could experience – paracetamol, phenylephrine hydrochloride, chlorpheniramine maleate, and carbocisteine.

For paracetamol, an individual can buy only 20 tablets at a time while a household is limited to buying 60 tablets at a time. For the liquid form of this medication, the limit is five bottles for individuals and 10 bottles for a household.

The chart below shows the purchase caps for the covered medications:

The policy was crafted by the health and trade departments.

The government earlier gave assurances that, though many drug stores reported selling out certain medications, there is enough stock in the country. Pharmacies, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has said, were not able to stock up on the medications fast enough because of the sudden demand for them due to the rise of COVID-19 transmissions. These additional stocks are making their way to drug stores already, he said. – Rappler.com