New Maximum Allowable Service Fees for Whole Blood and Blood Components in Blood Service Facilities

October 26, 2015

DOH ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 2015-0045

 

I. Rationale

Pursuant to Section 11 of Republic Act No. 7719 otherwise known as the National Blood Services Act of 1994, the Department of Health (DOH) shall promulgate rules and regulations which shall prescribe from time to time the maximum ceiling for fees for the provision of blood, including collection, processing and storage, professional services and a reasonable allowance for spoilage.

Accordingly, the DOH issued Administrative Order No. 2008-0008 or the "Rules and Regulations Governing the Regulation of Blood Service Facilities". Under this Administrative Order (A.O.), the Blood Service Facilities (BSFs) may collect a reasonable service fee for every blood or blood product issued which shall not be greater than the maximum fees prescribed by the Department of Health (DOH). The National Voluntary Blood Services Program, (NVBSP) shall periodically review the maximum allowable service fee specifying the basic requirements and special tests covered by the service fee.

In relation thereto, the National Voluntary Blood Services Program (NVBSP) conducted a series of consultation meetings to ascertain the cost of recovering the expenses of blood service facilities in their 24-hour operation amidst the increase in wages and price of reagents, blood bags and other supplies.

II. Objective

This Administrative Order is intended to regulate blood service fees in accordance with Section 8 of the National Blood Services Act of 1994; which states that, blood bank/center shall operate on a non-profit basis, but they may be allowed to collect blood service fees not greater than the maximum prescribed by the DOH.

III. Scope/Coverage

The new maximum allowable blood service fees for the provision of whole blood and blood components shall be applicable to all Blood Service facilities in the Philippines, be they under the national government, private, Local Government Unit (LGU), and Philippine Red Cross (PRC).

IV. Definition of Terms

1. Blood Components — refers to a blood product but not limited to whole blood, red cells, granulocytes, plasma, cryoprecipitate and cryosupernate prepared in a Blood Service Facility.

2. Blood Service Facilities — refer to Blood Bank (BB), Blood Center (BC), Blood Collecting Unit (BCU) and Blood Station (BS).

3. Blood Services Network — An organization composed of the designated Blood Centers, Hospital Blood Banks, Blood Stations, Blood Collecting Units and End User Hospitals established to provide for the blood needs of a specific geographical area.

4. End User Hospital — a hospital with a licensed clinical laboratory capable of red cell typing and cross matching and which does not have any blood service facility but which only receives blood and blood components for blood transfusion as needed.

V. General Guidelines

1. The Department of Health (DOH) shall set the following new maximum service fees to be collected by the Blood Service Facilities, to wit:

Whole Blood	Php1,800.00
Packed Red Blood Cells	Php1,500.00
Other blood components	Php1,000.00
(Platelet Concentrate, Fresh Frozen Plasma,
Cryoprecipitate & Cryosupernate)

2. The blood service fee shall cover the following expenses:

2.1 Donor Recruitment/Screening

2.2 Blood Collection from Voluntary Blood Donors

2.3 Testing for Transfusion Transmissible Infections (TTIs) and Other Screening Tests: Hemoglobin, Blood Typing, Vital signs etc.

a. Hepatitis B Virus (by EIA or Chemiluminescenes);

b. Hepatitis C Virus (by EIA or Chemiluminescenes);

c. HIV (by EIA or Chemiluminescenes);

d. Malaria Parasite (by EIA or thick and thin blood smear or Quantitative Buffy Coat Method);

e. Treponema pallidum (by Rapid Plasma Reagent (RPR) or Treponema pallidum hemaglutination Test).

2.4 Component preparation; and

2.5 General/Administrative expenses for the preparation of the blood products.

VI. Specific Guidelines/Implementing Mechanisms

1. The Blood Service Facility shall post in the designated public area (outside the Laboratory or Blood Bank) either in English or in Vernacular, the details of the Blood Service Fee as stated below:

a.) "Blood is Free"

The Blood Service Fee covers the following procedures:

Testing for:

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis C

HIV

Syphilis and Malaria

Other screening test:

Hemoglobin

Blood typing

Vital signs

b.) No other fees related to Blood Services shall be collected from the patient/relatives of the patient (deposits, blood bond or non-replacement fee — payment for units of blood or blood products when the patient or relatives of patient cannot bring Voluntary Non-remunerated Blood Donors).

2. Expenses for the transfusion-related procedures shall be separate from the foregoing basic service fees for the provision of whole blood and blood components. These expenses shall be charged and indicated on separate receipts.

3. No honorarium fee shall be given to the blood donors.

4. Documented complaints and violations shall be forwarded or addressed to the Department of Health — Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau (DOH-HFSRB) or to the Regional Offices, Office of the Director for appropriate action.

VII. Penalty Clause

In accordance to Section 12 of R.A. No. 7719, any blood bank/center which shall collect charges and fees greater than the maximum prescribed by the DOH shall have its license suspended or revoked by the Secretary of Health.

Any person or persons who shall be responsible for the above violation shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment of not less than one (1) month nor more than six (6) months, or a fine of not less than Five Thousand pesos (P5,000.00) nor more than Fifty thousand pesos (P50,000.00), or both at the discretion of the competent court.

VIII. Separability Clause

Any provision or part of this A.O. which may be declared unauthorized or rendered void by any judicial authority or competent authority, the provision which are not affected by such declaration shall remain valid and effective.

IX. Repealing Clause

These rules and regulations shall repeal and supersede all administrative orders and previous issuances inconsistent thereto, including but not limited to Administrative Order No. 18, s. 1998 dated May 13, 1998 and Administrative Order No. 181, s. 2002 dated December 5, 2002.

X. Effectivity

These rules and regulations shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

(SGD.) JANETTE P. LORETO-GARIN, MD, MBA-HSecretary of Health

Published in The Philippine Daily Inquirer on November 2, 2015.