Health Market Glossary

Key terms

The terms below come up most often when health brands plan a Philippine launch. Each links to a fuller guide where one exists.

LTO (License to Operate)

Philippine FDA authorization for a company to manufacture, import, distribute or sell regulated health products.

CPR (Certificate of Product Registration)

Philippine FDA registration of an individual product, such as a food supplement or drug.

Product notification

A lighter FDA route used for some product types, including cosmetics.

Medical device registration

The FDA route for medical devices; requirements depend on the device's risk class.

Importer of record

The company legally responsible for an import: licenses, customs entry, duties and compliance.

Distributor

A company that sells products on to pharmacies, hospitals, retailers and wholesalers.

Channel partner

A general term for a partner that sells a brand through one or more channels; scope varies by partner.

eCommerce enabler

A partner that runs a brand's online business: stores, content, ads, customer service, inventory and fulfillment.

Multichannel fulfillment

Shipping orders from every sales channel out of one shared inventory.

SLA (fulfillment)

The time between an order being placed and it being dispatched. Vita Max Prime reports a 0.6-day average.

Grey market

Genuine products sold outside authorized channels, often unregistered or wrongly labelled.

Instant commerce (quick commerce)

On-demand delivery within hours, through options such as Shopee instant delivery and GrabMart.

Same-day delivery

Orders delivered on the day they are placed. Vita Max Prime offers same-day and instant delivery across Metro Manila (NCR).

O2O (offline-to-online)

Linking offline activity, such as doctor recommendations or in-store promos, to online purchases.

Official store

A brand-authorized store on a marketplace, usually requiring proof of brand ownership or authorization.

Serial-number traceability

Tracking each unit from receiving to delivery for recalls, warranty and authenticity checks.