Pre-reading questions:
- Do you take medicines immediately after feeling feverish? Why or why not?
- What other vitamins or food do you take to boost your immune system?
Vocabulary:
- demand /dih-MAND/
- shortage /SHAWR-tij/
- temporarily /tem-puh-RAIR-uh-lee/
- panic buying /PAN-ik-bah-ying/
- effective /ih-FEK-tiv/
[noun] – a need for goods or services that customers want to buy or use
The price of poultry products increased because of high demand.
[noun] – a situation in which there is not enough of something
There is an ongoing shortage of sanitary supplies.
[adverb] – in a way that does not last for long or for ever
The comfort room will be temporarily unavailable for use due to maintenance.
[noun] – a situation in which many people suddenly buy as much food, fuel, etc. as they can because they are worried about something bad that may happen
There is a panic buying of food, air tickets, train tickets, and other essentials due to the ongoing health issue.
[adjective] – successful or achieving the results that you want
This moisturizer is effective in softening and whitening your skin.
Article reading:
Philippines’ leading drug producer Unilab reported a shortage of pharmacy stock, including its most trusted brands like Biogesic, Bioflu, Neozep, and Solmux. “Some of our brands are temporarily out of stock in select drugstores due to extraordinary demand,” Unilab stated. The company, on the other hand, promised that it is working its best to stock up as early as possible. Other major medicine producers reported the same issue, such as Zuellig Pharma and Generika. However, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of the Philippines noted that this is only due to some delivery delays of stocks in drugstores. The agency has also ordered to limit the purchases of the public to avoid panic buying. In addition, DTI and the Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines urged Filipinos to consider other cheaper but trusted drugs as alternatives since they are as effective as the branded ones. The Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) also advised the public to buy only the needed number of medicines because of their expiration dates and consider other patients who may need them more.
Comprehension questions
- What type of medicines has been out of stock in many Philippine drugstores?
- Which major medicine manufacturer in the Philippines reported a shortage?
- According to DTI, what caused the shortage?
- What did the DOH and DTI say about considering generic drugs?
- What two things should the Filipino public consider when panic buying, according to PHAP?
Discussion questions
- What medicines do you usually take when you have a fever or flu?
- What do you do to avoid getting sick from the cold weather?
- Would you opt to buy generic drugs if branded ones ran out of stock? Why or why not?
- Do you think cheaper generic medicines are as effective as the branded ones?
- In your opinion, should all medicines be free? Why or why not?