Access to Diabetes Care and Medicines in the Philippines

In the Philippines, diabetes is rapidly becoming a major public health issue, as in other low- and middle-income countries. Availability and affordability of care and medicines are crucial to control diabetes. This study describes the situations of diabetes patients and identifies possible barriers to diabetes care and medicines in the Philippines. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from multilevel respondents using different semistructured questionnaires/checklists. The study revealed that many patients took intermittent medication based on their own judgment, and/or selected certain pieces of medical advice, subjectively weighing symptoms against household budget. The current public health insurance scheme and decentralized health systems did not promote access to diabetes care. Investing in regular care is expected to be less expensive both for individuals and for society in the long-term. Insurance outpatient coverage and application of standard treatment/management guidelines will be of help to encourage providing and receiving regular care.