Pharmacies clash with government
June 30, 2005 07:00 - (SA) - South Africa's Department of Health (DOH) has displayed a worrying disregard for the private sector in an interview published in the latest edition of Health Management Review Africa (HMR), in which DOH Director Dr Anban Pillay equates the private sector to a "delinquent child", according to United South African Pharmacies (USAP) chairperson, Julian Solomon.
The USAP represents about 1,200 independent pharmacists across South Africa, and is party to the pending Constitutional Court case against the government's proposed medicines regulations limiting pharmacy dispensing fees to 26 rand for purchases over 100 rand or 26% for those under 100 rand.
Solomon was commenting on remarks made by Pillay, who said in the HMR interview: "We always draw the analogy that trying to deal with the private sector is like trying to deal with a delinquent child and the child doesn't necessarily appreciate it. Whatever you are doing is trying to help them for the future and not necessarily because you don't like the child. But the child will have that perception."
Solomon said Pillay's remarks were "not only insulting to a profession which has enormous experience and done tremendous good for the healthcare of this country, but further suggest that only he and the DOH know what is needed."
"His comments are indicative of the Department's 'Big Brother' approach. We are professionals and we object to being infantilised like this. As healthcare providers we are at the coalface every day. We know what our customers need, and we know what we need to do meet those needs - and to keep our businesses running so that we can continue to provide vital healthcare services and professional advice."
"Dr Pillay also states that their plans have been 10 years in the planning. This is true, and we supported the plan. But what the DOH is trying now to ram down our throats bears little resemblance to that which was presented to us by the Portfolio Committee of Health during the parliamentary sessions of 1996 and 1997."
"For example, there it was unequivocally stated that dispensing licenses would only be granted where suitable pharmacy services were not available. Furthermore, that open ownership was 'not intended to make big business bigger'. What has in fact taken place is that licenses are being granted where the main criteria appears to be 'how much damage can we do to community pharmacies'? The DOH is continuing to renege on the principles it set out 10 years ago by attempting to put the blame on pharmacy and embarking on what can best be described as vindictive licensing."
Solomon adds: "The interview reads like a pack of lies. Dr Pillay alleges that retail pharmacists have failed to provide them with research and figures as to what the quantum of the dispensing fee should be, and that we were reluctant to be transparent about our profits prior to the introduction of the regulations. This is not true."
"We have lost count as to the number of times we have offered to meet with the Department to negotiate a solution. They have ignored these requests. Instead, the Department has met with individual pharmacists and certain pharmacy groups which they consider legitimate. This excludes USAP which represents over 1,200 independent retail pharmacies in SA."
In the interview, Pillay alleges that pharmacists are being misled by the leadership of their professional organisations.
"What proof does he have of this? By taking issue with the leadership he is denying the legitimacy of our organisations despite having no evidence that any of our members have themselves expressed dissatisfaction. It is quite simply an attempt to discredit USAP and the like in a malicious way."
"The Supreme Court of Appeal has vindicated our position, and we believe the Constitutional Court will do the same. But this is not about one side winning or losing; it is about ensuring broader and more affordable access to healthcare and drugs for all South Africans. We want to talk. We want to find a solution. Unfortunately, the truth is that the DOH is not interested in negotiating with private healthcare providers. They see us as 'delinquent children' who need to be dictated to and mollified while they proceed with their plans - regardless of the consequences," he concluded.
I-Net Bridge
Online Advertising Leader AzoogleAds Grew More Than 100 Percent in the First Half of 2005, Dramatically Outpacing the Overall Growth of the Industry
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 10, 2005--
AzoogleAds Reports Nearly 46 Billion CPA Impressions and 10 Million Unique Transactions, Underscoring Its Position as Leading CPA Advertising Network
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AzoogleAds
Regina Barboza (Media), 973-313-1689
press@AzoogleAds.com