This study was conducted to describe the current practice of directly observed treatment for tuberculosis treatment and to identify the barriers that affect its implementation in barangay Sta. Catalina. A total of 43 respondents were included in this study composed of 34 tuberculosis patients and nine health workers. Data was gathered through a questionnaire administered by the researcher. Data was analyzed using frequencies and percentages. Results showed that only 47 percent of patients practice actual DOTS, while 53 percent do not adhere to the standard DOTS protocol. The most common patient related barriers that affect the implementation of DOTS were conflict of treatment with other interests of the patients, distance of the patient’s house to the health center, and conflict of treatment with the patients work schedule as identified by the respondents. The most common health care-provider related barrierswere the complacent attitude of health workers towards their patients, the conflict of treatment with the other activities in the health center, and the improvising of the health workers due to the difficulty of the standard protocol. The researcher concluded that DOTS is not practiced according to standard protocol by many PTB patients and health workers in barangay Sta. Catalina.

Keyword: Implementation of directly observed treatment for tuberculosis