No need for IV therapy training, says DOH Usec

Filipino nurses don't need to renew their training for IV therapy, according to Department of Health Undersecretary Roger Tong-An.

IV Therapy training is three-day program designed by to enhance the nurses' knowledge, skills and attitude in the delivery of their expanded role as intravenous nurse therapists. Association of Nursing Service Administrators of the Philippines (ANSAP) is the nursing organization mandated to administer and accredit basic IVT training for nurses.

Tong-An, the first nurse selected named as undersecretary in the health department, first discussed this stand in IV therapy training together with other pressing issues in the nurse profession during the PNA Pre-Convention and Chapter President's Summit at PNA National Office last October 16, 2016.

PNA GenSan Chapter posted the following updates from the summit including inputs from Usec. Tong-an:
"DOH Usec. Roger Tong-an updated on the issues concerning Nurses' welfare and benefits, and Philippine Health Agenda, Universal Health Care.
- informing that 21,000 available Plantilla positions for nurses and other health workers, increase in salary and the abolition of mandated iv training requirements. PHILHEALTH reimbursement, creation of Research Bureau @ DOH to mention a few."

In multiple occasions during the PNA National Convention 2016, Usec. Tong-An also reiterated that there is NO NEED to renew training for IV Therapy.

"To all nurses who wish to renew their IVT card, NO NEED TO RENEW!," he posted when asked for clarification.

Nurses for Change advocacy group has been asking DOH and hospitals to remove IV Therapy certification as requirement in hiring registered nurses. The group claims that "ANSAP has made it de facto mandatory to have IV Therapy training in most hospitals only through having its network of chief nurses simultaneously require their staff to undergo such tranings."

"There is NO LEGAL BASIS in requiring RNs to undergo IV Therapy training. Even worse, the IV therapy training's cost is 6x greater than the renewal of a nurse's PRC license itself," the group posted in their Facebook page.

"Since RA 9173 became a law, the requirement of RA 7164 (the Philippine Nursing act of 1991) to have "special training" for the administration of intravenous medications, has been completely removed. Under the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002, the administration of parenteral medications no longer needs any additional training as per Section 28, The Scope of Nursing."

Former Congresswoman Leah Paquiz of Ang Nars Partylist also touched the matter in her speech during the PNA National Convention. She asked ANSAP to look into the nurses' situation in undergoing expensive trainings only to end with contractual jobs.

Dr. Elsa Castro of ANSAP responded that every institution has their own way of accepting applicants but ANSAP is looking after the details of whether the application requirements are valid for purposes of standardization.


Dr. George Cordero, President of the Philippine College of Health Sciences Inc., admitted that IV Therapy certification is indeed institutional. But he observed that the quality of education is not standardized despite that the training cost is around PHP 3,000.00.

He recommended that it should be included in the curriculum for 4th year Nursing or through in-service training in hospitals.

What's your thoughts on this latest update on IV Therapy training, nurses? Please comment below. [With reports from Ang Nars partylist, Nurses for Change Movement, PNA GenSan Facebook pages]