Only 30 medicines are actually 'out of stock'
Only 30 out of the list of 692 medicines which Labour said were out of stock are actually missing from government's shelves, the Health secretariat said yesterday.
During a political meeting two weeks ago, Labour Leader Joseph Muscat had said that pharmacies taking part in the Pharmacy of Your Choice Scheme were sent a list of 692 medicines which the Health Department has run out of.
On Sunday, the Labour Party published the list of medicines.
However, in a statement, the secretariat said the list of medicines was sent out as a guideline which listed products included in the scheme and others which were not.
Out of the listed 692 products, around 400 cannot be collected in the POYC and only 30 medicines are out of stock while the remaining 260 items are available at the government's central medical stores, the statement said.
The term "out of stock" was misunderstood, the secretariat contended.
Around 700 medical products are distributed to patients through the POYC scheme, from 67 participating pharmacies. The secretariat said it is reviewing the scheme following feedback from the pilot project to make it more efficient.
The Labour Party later pointed out that the government's statement confirmed that the 692 products were unavailable for pharmacists participating in POYC.
That the government's reply arrived five days after Dr Muscat published the list confirms the government's state of confusion, Labour said.
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lgalea
Feb 21st 2009, 13:56
J.Hermse
Don't confuse health care with free medicine.
Why should we want you to come and settle here when we are the most overpopulated place in europe and nearly the most populated place in the world?
On the other hand visitors are always welcome.
MS G HOARE.
Feb 21st 2009, 13:38
@ J Hermse, well as you live in the Netherlands what is your point , if you having an operation in Malta yes I beleive that they are well prepared for it we have good surgens and hospital too, getting free medicin is another if there is a shortage of free medicines
which most of this is arriving from abroad it not the first time and it will not be the last it happenes in other europe an countries too everybody expect that HEALTH department to be perfect nowhere in the world is .
J.Hermse
Feb 21st 2009, 11:03
And you guys in the government want people to come from abroad because you tell us that your health system is high up in the list of best health care service in europe, not if you can't get your act together and keep up in line with the rest of most eu countries. J.Hermseon. Netherlands.
lgalea
Feb 21st 2009, 10:38
p.s.
And why should any medicines be out of stock?
Does this not reflect bad planning?
Or is it that there is no money for medicines?
lgalea
Feb 21st 2009, 10:37
Is everything now a guideline?
We had the ADT saying that the traffic Regulations were only guidelines.
Now we have the Health Secretariat saying that the medicines list sent to the pharmacies was only a guideline.
How long will it be before we hear that our laws are only guidelines?