Proposals for the reorganisation of the Pharmacy of Your Choice Scheme which would see patients paying for their “free” medicine and getting a refund from the government at a later stage have been presented.

Addressing a news conference this morning, Reginald Fava, who chairs the healthcare business section of the Chamber of Commerce said that the proposals were drawn up by the section following consultation with pharmacists involved in the scheme and users.

The proposals suggest that patients should pay for medicines they were entitled to from the community pharmacy where they were registered and would then be reimbursed by the government.

Those who were not in a financial position to do so would pay using a voucher issued by the competent authority.

One of the proposals was for a tariff stipulating the maximum amount to be reimbursed for each particular medicine to be established.

This would be fixed according to the real price of medicines and the pharmacy would be obliged to supply the medicine according to this tariff. It would be agreed upon by the stakeholders and revised at least once a year.

Patients would be able to opt for a more advanced and expensive drug, forking the difference in price out of their own pocket.

This system, Mr Fava said, would make the pharmacy of your choice scheme more sustainable since it would reduce wastage and abuse. It would also reduce the state’s responsibility for holding stocks of medicines.

Even though there would be administrative costs, money would still be saved from wastage and expired stock. Mr Fava said the section believed that a third of the amount of medicines currently taken would be saved as many people took medicines they did not really need.

He said that a timeframe should be established highlighting by when patients would be reimbursed.

Complaining about the lack of dialogue between the government and the section, Mr Fava said that the section had requested a meeting with Social Policy Minister John Dalli to discuss the proposals more than two months ago but this had never taken place.

The section is sending its proposals to the Prime Minister, the Opposition leader, Mr Dalli and Finance Minister Tonio Fenech.