THE COMMISSION on Higher Education has approved the appointment of the new members of the pharmacy technical panel.

CHED Chairman Prospero De Vera III led the virtual oath-taking of the new members of TPP on August 23, 2021.

The reconstituted TP-Pharma is headed by Dr. Aleth Therese Dacanay who is the dean of the School of Pharmacy of the University of Santo Tomas and past president of the Philippine Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.

Representing the academe is Dr. Imelda Pena, who is a professor at the College of Pharmacy of the University of the Philippines Manila.

From the government are Dr. Mildred Oliveros, a member of the Board of Pharmacy of the Professional Regulation Commission, and Ma. Lourdes Santiago, former deputy director general of the Food and Drug Administration.

The pharmaceutical industry representatives include the president of the Federation of Asian Pharmaceutical Associations Dr. Yolanda Robles; Atty. Jose Maria Ochave, senior vice president and executive committee member of the United Laboratories, Inc. and president of Ritemed Philippines, Inc.; and Ms. Rosario Barangan, vice president for manufacturing of E.L. Laboratories.

“Pharmacists in the country and around the world have continued to provide direct patient care and perform frontline duties for the communities during this pandemic, as they can play a pivotal role in disease prevention, management, and containment,” De Vera said.

“The appointment of the newly reconstituted Technical Panel for Pharmacy is an imperative to continually support the Commission towards quality pharmacy education,” he added.

“I ask our new members of the Technical Panel for Pharmacy to brief the Commission by guiding us on areas that are within your competence. We need you to be part of our Technical Working Groups that will address very important questions facing higher education. Without you, the Commission will not be able to respond to these very rapid and urgent concerns that we have,” De Vera said.