conditions, test for hearing acuity, visual acuity, learning impairment, and related
psychosocial conditions like drug testing.
5.5 Drug / Medicine – refers to any chemical compound or biological substance, other
than food, intended for use in the treatment, prevention or diagnosis of disease in
humans or animals, including but not limited to:
5.5.1 Any article recognized in the official United States Pharmacopoeia – National
Formulary (USP-NF), official Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States,
Philippine Pharmacopoeia, Philippine National Drug Formulary, British Pharmacopoeia,
European Pharmacopoeia, Japanese Pharmacopoeia, Indian Pharmacopoeia, any
national compendium or any supplement to any of them
5.5.2 Any article intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or
prevention of disease in humans or animals
5.5.3 Any article other than food intended to affect the structure or any function of the
human body or animals
5.5.4 Any article intended for use as a component of any articles specified in items 5.5.1
to 5.5.3 not including devices or their components, parts or accessories
5.5.5 Herbal and/or traditional drugs which are articles of plant or animal origin used in
folk medicine which are:
Recognized in the Philippine National Drug Formulary
Intended for use in the treatment or cure or mitigation of disease symptoms, injury or
body effects in humans
Other than food, intended to affect the structure or any function of the human body
In finished or ready-to-use dosage form
Intended for use as a component of any of the articles specified in bullets 1 to 4.
These may also include vitamins and minerals provided that these are in accordance
with the Food and Drug Administration’s prevailing cut-off on vitamins and minerals
classified as drug / medicine i.e product containing more than 150% of water-soluble
vitamins and more than 102% of fat soluble vitamins. For herbs to be classified under
this definition, levels and amounts as well as registration status is required when
indicated for therapeutic use.
5.6 Essential Drug / Medicine – refers to drugs / medicines that satisfy the priority
health care needs of the population and which are selected based on the evidence of
their efficacy, safety and comparative cost effectiveness.
5.7 Essential Drug List or National Drug Formulary – Refers to a list of drugs
prepared and periodically updated by the Department of Health on the basis of health
conditions obtaining in the Philippines as well as on internationally accepted criteria.
5.8 Foods for Special Medical Purposes – refers to category of foods for special
dietary uses which are specially processed or formulated and presented for the dietary
management of patients and may be used only under medical supervision. They are
intended for the exclusive or partial feeding of patients with limited or impaired capacity
to take, digest, absorb or metabolize ordinary foodstuffs or certain nutrients contained
therein, or who have other special medically-determined nutrient requirements, whose
dietary management cannot be achieved only by modification of the normal diet, by
other foods for special dietary uses, or by a combination of the two.
5.9 Lodging Establishment – refers to public and private establishments that charge
daily, weekly, monthly rates or fees which include but not limited to the following:
5.9.1 Apartel refers to building or edifice containing several independent and furnished
or semi-furnished apartments, regularly leased to tourists and travelers for dwelling on a
more or less long-term basis and offering basic services to its tenants, similar to hotels.
5.9.2 Dormitory refers to any permanent structure with private rooms where persons,
students in particular, may be regularly accepted as boarders and provided with lodging
and/or meals.
5.9.3 Motorist Hotel refers to any structure with several separate units, primarily
located along the highway, with individual or common parking space, at which motorists
may obtain lodging and in some instances, meals.
5.9.4 Pension House refers to a private or family-operated tourist boarding house,
tourist guest house or tourist lodging house, regularly catering to tourist, and/or traveler,
containing several independent table rooms, providing common facilities such as toilets,
bathrooms/showers, living and dining rooms and/or kitchen and where a combination of
board and lodging may be provided.