UP PGH Addiction and Recovery Medicine

23/09/2025

Kudos to all who participated in 2025 UP-PGH Specialty Course in Addiction Nursing!❤️

Last Friday, Sept 19, our Division of Addiction and Recovery Medicine teamed up with the Division of Nursing Education & Training to wrap up the Clinical Specialty Course in Addictions Nursing at UP-PGH.

This two-day, 16-hour training (13 CPD units) brought together UP-PGH nurses for an intensive program on assessment, intervention, and recovery support for people with substance and behavioral addictions.

Day 2 capped the course with toxicological nursing interventions, motivational interviewing techniques, basics of CBT and family-centred care, plus interactive workshops on case analysis and therapeutic relationships—giving participants hands-on skills in screening, crisis management, and practical nursing interventions.

This course reaffirms UP-PGH’s commitment to compassionate, evidence-based addiction care and celebrates the vital role nurses play in guiding patients toward recovery.

Together, we are stronger in Addiction Care.

12/09/2025

12/09/2025

25/08/2025

Isang mahalagang abiso para sa mga pasyente ng PGH:

Ang mga klinik sa Outpatient Department (OPD), Cancer Institute (CI), at Sentro Oftalmologico Jose Rizal (SOJR) ng Philippine General Hospital ay sarado bukas, Agosot 26, 2025 (Martes).

Ito ay kasunod ng anunsyo ng Malacañang na suspendido ang klase sa lahat ng antas at trabaho sa mga tanggapan ng gobyerno dahil sa posibleng masamang panahon.

Lahat ng mga appointment sa araw na ito ay magkakaroon ng bagong schedule na makikita sa Online Consultation Request & Appointment System (OCRA) http://pghopd.up.edu.ph.

Manatili po kayong ligtas at sundin ang payo ng mga awtoridad sa inyong mga lugar.

Salamat po sa inyong pang-unawa.

23/08/2025

Reiner Lorenzo Tamayo and Bill Whilson Baljon of the HPP Policy and Community Engagement Team share their insights in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on the state of alcohol ordinances in the Philippines, the health and economic burden of alcohol, and potential ways forward.

They emphasize that alcohol must be a public health priority as it has been widely established as a silent but significant driver of chronic diseases, mental health disorders, and other long-term harms. The window of opportunity should be seized to elevate alcohol control as a public health priority on par with to***co regulation through actions such as declaring September as Alcohol Harms Awareness Month.

Read the article: bit.ly/HPPAlcPolicyInq
Learn more about alcohol harms: bit.ly/UTTPlaylist

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of UP-NIH.

UP Manila for the SDGs

23/08/2025

We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined us for the successful Substance Abuse Lay Forum held last August 15 hosted by the National Children’s Hospital. With the powerful theme "Don't Smoke, Avoid Alcohol, Say No to Drugs," the event aimed to raise awareness, educate the public especially the youth, and inspire positive change in our communities.

From engaging talks by Dr. Jiggy Leonard F. Landong and Dr. Pamela Bianca P. Bandelaria to open discussions with participants, the forum empowered attendees—young and old alike—to make informed, healthy choices and stand united against substance abuse.

Together, let’s continue to build a healthier, drug-free future!

23/08/2025

It is with great pleasure that we extend an invitation to interested participants to the eleventh run of the UP National Institutes of Health (UP-NIH) Neuroscience Seminar Series – a first of its kind and provides a unique opportunity to engage and introduce in the different fields of neuroscience from expert neuroscientists around the globe.

A lecture will be conducted by the invited speaker and there will be an opportunity for the graduate students to interact with the speaker after the lecture.

This event promises to be an insightful and engaging experience to introduce the field of neuroscience research.

Event Details:

Title of Talk: The importance of social reward in substance use disorders

Speaker: Marco Venniro, Ph.D. - Associate Professor with Tenure, Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Chair, Psychosocial & Behavioral Interventions Interest Group Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine; Principal Investigator, “Behavioral and neural mechanisms mediating social motivation in a rat model for ASD”

Date: September 13, 2025 (Saturday)
Time: 09:00AM - 10:30AM (Seminar)
Platform: Online via Zoom

How to Register: Kindly complete the registration form at https://neurolab.com.ph/trainings-and-seminars/ by September 10, 2025. The zoom link will be provided after your registration is confirmed.

If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Rohani Navarro, rbcena@up.edu.ph.

We look forward to learning with you in this exciting and informative seminar series.

21/08/2025

We proudly celebrate two of our graduates/junior consultants who recently shared their expertise as distinguished guest speakers:

👩‍⚕️ Dr. Pamela Bianca P. Bandelaria
Spoke at “Conscious Clicks: A Guide to Mindful Tech Use” held last July 18, 2025, at the Ideation Room, Atrium Campus, De La Salle College of St. Benilde.
She highlighted the challenges of Problematic Internet Media Use (PIMU) and problematic screen time, emphasizing the importance of mindful technology use in today’s digital age.

👨‍⚕️ Dr. Allandale E. Nacino
Delivered his talk on “Pulmonary Implications of To***co and Vape” during “Respivision: The Future of Pulmonary Medicine”, the 7th Postgraduate Course of the Manila Doctors’ Hospital Section of Pulmonary Medicine, held last August 19, 2025, at Diamond Hotel Manila.

Their contributions continue to inspire us in advancing the field of Addiction Medicine, addressing emerging health challenges, and promoting holistic recovery.

👏 We are truly proud of you, Dr. Bandelaria and Dr. Nacino!

20/08/2025

🚨 PUBLIC ADVISORY 🚨
Babala kontra sa paggamit ng “Thuốc Lào” o tuklaw na natuklasang may lamang MDMB-4en-PINACA, isang mapanganib na synthetic cannabinoid.
⚠️ Maaaring magdulot ng matinding pagsusuka, kombulsyon, atake sa puso, pagkawala ng malay, at pagkamatay.

👉 Kung may kilalang pasyente na posibleng gumamit nito, agad tumawag sa National Poison Management and Control Center (NPMCC):
📞 (02) 8554-8400 loc 2311 / (02) 8524-1078 / (02) 8526-0062 / 0966-718-9904

10/08/2025

Statement on Public Shaming of Doctors!

The Philippine Medical Association condemns the recent viral post on social media publicly shaming a Surgeon Physician. Professional fees for doctors can vary based on several factors, including the complexity and type of service rendered and level of expertise of the physician handling the case. Each doctor has the right to determine the worth of his services rendered guided by a common relative value scale followed in the Philippines. Based on accounts on services rendered to the patient mentioned in the case the hospital charges and professional fees were within acceptable limits of ethical practice.

We therefore condemn the post to malign a physician who performed his duty well. He was singled out despite the fact that there were several medical specialists who handled this very complex case. Based on facts gathered the high professional fee in question was incorrect and was actually lower , the physicians even agreed to be paid with a guarantee letter! Considering the patient was treated with utmost compassion and concern by the several attending physicians for more than 20 days the social media post claiming “heartless treatment “ from the Physicians is unjust and uncalled for.

Let's focus on promoting a supportive and respectful environment for healthcare professionals. Doctors and all health care professionals play a vital role in our lives, and you should be acknowledging their hard work and dedication. You were treated and saved from near death to good health ready for discharge and you repay their kindness with Public shaming!

10/08/2025

Nagpadala ng mensahe ng pasasalamat ang PGH Director na si Dr. Gerardo Legaspi para sa agarang tulong at aksyon ng Department of Health.

"The situation is more manageable now - thank you for all the DOH's help. Our occupancy rate for the entire hospital now is 98.97%. The emergency room (ER) this morning has 199 patients. Our Leptospirosis cases since August 1 is 56."

Nananatili pong bukas upang magserbisyo sa publiko ang Philippine General Hospital.