Overview
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Compliance Service has developed the Regulatory Compliance System (RCS), an online system designed for electronically submitting licenses, accreditations, and local order permit applications. It was created to provide contactless transactions, fast delivery of services, and a more seamless experience on the applicant’s licensing journey.
Before the RCS, all received applications in the PDEA Regional Offices were forwarded to PDEA Compliance Service National Headquarters for processing and encoding. This resulted in a longer processing time. With the implementation of RCS, applications become accessible nationwide to all authorized internal end users. As a result, the system reduces the number of processing days to help attain the PDEA’s objective of providing total client satisfaction.
Challenge
The RCS aims to address the main productivity challenge of the long processing time during face-to-face transactions of license and permit applications. This results in even more problems like long queues, health hazards, travel expenses, and low client satisfaction.
Aside from this, with Proclamation No. 922 S. March 8, 2020, Declaring a State of Public Health Emergency throughout the Philippines, PDEA Compliance Service had to come up with a solution on how to comply with the IATF guidelines and continue their service to their stakeholders without compromising the health of their personnel. Effective 2020, all applications must be submitted through the official email address to avoid face-to-face contact with clients. Although their work-from-home personnel and regional DDROs had access to the official email that time, all applications still had to be encoded in the PDEA Permits and Licensing System (PPLS) since the staff could only access the system in their national headquarters. This results in more prolonged processing time on the licenses, permits, and applications.
Solution
The RCS project has two major components: Online RCS and Internal RCS.
The Online RCS is an online system that aims to provide electronic submission of applications for PDEA licenses, local permits, semi-annual reports, various notifications, and attachments of supporting documents. It is a viewable system with email notifications of transaction status. This system caters to external stakeholders, including those who prescribe Dangerous Drugs Preparations (DDPs), like physicians, dentists, and veterinarians.
On the other hand, Internal RCS is a web-based system that aims to provide a facility to assess the submitted applications. It stores client information, helps generate reports, displays statistical data, and provides security and access control. This system is useful to internal stakeholders, which include regulatory compliance officers from the national headquarters and regional offices.
Since the RCS is a nationwide web-based system, clients can apply online without going to PDEA offices, making the transactions paperless, fast, and efficient.
Ultimately, this project addresses the main productivity issue of the long and tedious process of license and permit applications.
Productivity Gains, Outcomes, and Impact
The RCS project impacts the organizational productivity of the PDEA Compliance Service. Since applicants can process online, the queues are no longer necessary. The RCS also shortens the transaction time resulting in faster customer service. Clients are no longer required to travel to PDEA offices, thereby reducing their expenses. On the agency’s side, the RCS also helps reduce the use of resources like ink, paper, and printer. Since there is no face-to-face transaction, it offers health safety to the stakeholders, increasing client satisfaction and generating more good or positive feedback on client satisfaction surveys.
The project also complies with RA 11032, Ease of Doing Business and Efficient, and the Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.
Overall, the RCS offers an easier, faster, and more efficient alternative way of processing transactions with the PDEA Compliance Service.
Lessons Learned and Challenges in Implementing the Intervention
For those who want to implement a similar intervention, PDEA Compliance Service highly recommends getting an external service provider that can comply with the specified requirements, thoroughly checking the system for any glitches or problems, and ensuring that the intervention will address the identified productivity gaps.
Resource:
PDEA website (2023, April). https://pdea.gov.ph/
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