MAM's attack on pharmacy licence system unwarranted - GRTU
The Malta Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises, GRTU this morning condemned the “unwarranted attack” by the Medical Association of Malta on the pharmacy licence system.
In a statement the GRTU said this system regulated privately run and owned pharmacies in the community which give excellent service to patients.
The system was solely responsible for the dispensing of medicine to most Maltese at no additional cost to patients, except the controlled price mark-up established at law.
Pharmacies in the community had no economic power to impose prices that were above the margins marked by importers on the wholesale price of medicine delivered to pharmacies and prices of medicines were the same all over Malta as competition at the pharmacy level did not, and could affect the price of medicines at the pharmacy level, the GRTU said.
“It is, therefore, incredible that an association of professionals can be so naïve and ignorant of elementary facts of economics to issue a press release so infantile and replete of errors as the one issued by MAM to comment on an issue which is really far out of its remit.”
The GRTU said the Health Minister’s proposal to allay the burden some doctors seemed to be complaining about by allowing pharmacists to prescribe medicines, besides being a proposal, had nothing to do with the issue of pharmacy licences and pharmaceutical prices, and MAM was rushing into judgement on this proposal at the risk of downgrading the esteem members of this union had in the public’s eyes.
Licences of pharmacies in the community were regulated by means of an agreement set up to include geographic and demographic principles.
The system ensured that investors would not simply chose the most attractive and profitable locations for investment in complete disregard of other localities which, being small, remote, or not representative of affluent sectors of the community would otherwise remain without a pharmacy.
It was a figment of one’s imagination to declare that more pharmacies would mean more competition that would drive down the cost of medicines.
In countries like Iceland and Norway, where the free market was allowed to reign and governments did not impose a system similar to Malta, the result was that pharmacies in the peripheries closed down leaving business to flow to pharmacies in the centres.
“Incredibly the Medical Association also links unsafe practices to the prices of medicines. This is a rather puerile way of putting forward an argument. There is simply no basis for this assertion.
“It is incredible that an association of medical professionals expresses publicly their ignorance of their understanding of the pharmaceutical market in Malta.
“They have no idea as to how the pharmaceutical supply chain operates and the economics of such a chain and the huge responsibilities of pharmacists, their fellow professionals.
“Unlike doctors, pharmacies have to earn their professional income from the small and controlled margin that remains after they deduct all expenses of running a modern pharmacy fully equipped to meet current market expectations pay all charges, pay all salaries and all costs of medicines and unlike other professionals all professional pharmacists employed in private pharmacies do not charge a professional fee to patients.”
The GRTU said that often enough, pharmacies in the community had to suffer the illicit competition of medicines sold on the market by medical practitioners who sold medicine to patients which was not in their possession.
In other countries there were situations where both dispensing pharmacists and dispensing doctors operated on the same market and this was especially true in remote rural areas.
But the reasons for this dual licensing system had nothing to do with the arguments presented by MAM.
GRTU said that notwithstanding this uncalled for diatribe by MAM against the professionals who owned and managed the pharmacies in the community, pharmacies were more than happy to work with the many doctors they hosted, in a meaningful relationship which benefitted the patient.
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Philip Hili
Jan 6th 2011, 00:16
As far as I know, if I remember well, the GRTU was and still is against monopoly. Her Director General always fought though battles against the monopoly. How it comes that now the GRTU is in favour of monopoly? When the GRTU is going to air her views against the monopoly of pharmacies?
Philip Hili
Jan 6th 2011, 00:06
"Pharmacies in the community had no economic power to impose prices that were above the margins marked by importers on the wholesale price of medicine delivered to pharmacies". What would be the situation if the owner of the pharmacy is an importer of medicine as well?
C.ZARB
Mar 27th 2010, 07:06
“Unlike doctors, pharmacies have to earn their professional income from the small and controlled margin that remains.”
Many doctors do not work in the private sector but stick to the NHS (which income is monitored well enough). Its the GPs and (some) doctors at consulting/GP level that work in private sector either at a full time or part time bases. Anyway at primary care level we have the cheapest and probably the most efficient service in Western Europe. The fee many of us pay to be visited by a doctor at home is a joke and we can also rely on a same day service even for the most trivial of illnesses. Cannot say the same about medicine in Malta which is amongst the highest in Europe. GRTU should know better before throwing mud to this noble profession with the same style that was done during the 'good old' 80s. Anyway this aggressive attitude towards doctors is not the only thing in GRTU that reminds me of the 80s. I guess GRTU's leader should stick to trade unioning and part time politics.
Joe Scicluna
Mar 26th 2010, 19:34
I think there ought to be no discrimination between the stipends of any courses at university.
It is odious and naive to state or infer that any profession is more important and or essential to our nation than another.
The essential point is that ALL students buy books and so on - so why discriminate ? We need ALL professions.
Thanks.
Anthea Bezzina
Mar 26th 2010, 16:13
The Medical Student stipend is just over half that given to engineers, BSc science students,
computer studies students etc. The reason given is that it costs far more to get a medical student through University than other students. What they don't say is that one needs far higher grades to access this course and what the government would do without doctors has never been clarified.
Karl Borg
Mar 26th 2010, 17:46
"What they don't say is that one needs far higher grades to access this course and what the government would do without doctors has never been clarified."
For your information, engineering and ICT courses also require one to have high grades in order be accepted. Getting a good grade in pure mathematics, physics or computer science requires a person to have a very rational and analytical mind in order to understand and master these subjects. Usually, thats the reason why students who learn by rote fail miserably in these subjects and get straight A's in Biology and Chemistry.
Another thing: the country needs more engineers and computer graduates than doctors. Doctors may cure illnesses but they surely don't cure an economy.
Robert Callus
Mar 26th 2010, 22:03
As far as I know Science, Computer and Engineering students receive a higher stipend that anyone else so saying that Medical students receive less than them is pointless and quite frankly the whole argument is based on a moot point. Students in most courses receive less than Science, Computer and Engineering students.
J. Debono
Mar 26th 2010, 15:42
@ H. Zammit
At the best of my knowledge no one.
If you have any names please report them as it is against the law for doctors to accept commissions or own pharmacies.
N.Grima
Mar 26th 2010, 13:06
This is what happens when doctors talk economics and law - an well-deserved demolition by the GRTU.
Charles Zammit
Mar 26th 2010, 13:05
Take the baseless talk and bombastic language from the GRTU's defence attempts of business operating pharmacy outlets and you are left with nothing short of a laugh. According to the GRTU 'The system was solely responsible for the dispensing of medicine to most Maltese at no additional cost to patients, except the controlled price mark-up established at law.' These businesses have suddenly become voluntary missionaries!!!
It is incredible that the GRTU who in the past advocated free market has now performed a complete U turn and is now against it!!
As usual the GRTU knows it all!! Perhaps the GRTU would care to inform the ignorant general public how the present system ensures that 'investors would not simply chose the most attractive and profitable locations for investment in complete disregard of other localities'.
By the way according to the GRTU doctors are ignorant too. Doctors should consider joining the GRTU in order to become smart. This is where they should look to in order to widen their knowledge of how the supply chain the medicine market operate. Unless they do this they are bound to remain ignorant.
Raymond Cutajar
Mar 26th 2010, 12:35
How strange . And one really has to wonder, Why does the GRTU is vosciforouse with issues regarding certain sectors' members of the same GRTU .
As one can easily note that whenever " Any Pharmacy " , Port Workers, Gas Distributors and last and not least the Valletta shops AND any hint regarding any negative effect to the Paceville business community , thesame GRTU is like a hound ready to pounce and it does, mind you, very rightly so and a big well done for such energy !
But--------- then ,why does the same GRTU does not care about the financial losses suffered by VRT stations' operators who are also members of the same union ?
Petrol stations are also well catered within the GRTU and well done for that
john zammit
Mar 26th 2010, 12:00
Dear sir
May i suggest that the taxi licence`s was liberated and the taxi permit that uesed to sell for a certain ammount is diminshed, Know we are about to trnsger to a private company the buses`s, May i ask are the pharmacy`s above all or are they owned by a certain circle, that they are above any maltese cityzen,and they are the untachables more pharmacy`s more competion and a better price for our daily doses, they isuue other licences like pastizzi one next to each other, so whats wrong with liberalising the pharmacy industry, and were are you G R TU THE SO CALLES PIONNERR OF THE SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTRPRICES?????????
Joe Scicluna
Mar 26th 2010, 11:52
Is it true that the medical student stipend is actually smaller than that of other courses at University?
If so why?
Can someone elucidate this point please.
Thanks.
Paul Caruana
Mar 26th 2010, 11:51
Let us keep our focus on the core issue: Medicinal prices in Malta must not exceed the EU average. The Maltese consumer expects no less. If neccessary, the government should go item by item and interviene, forcefully, where there is a marked discrepancy between the two.
C Micallef
Mar 26th 2010, 10:41
ADDED WORK & RESPONSIBILITY ON PHARMACISTS MUST BE LINKED WITH HIGHER PAY. When the government announced the start of the POYC, both GRTU & Chamber of Pharmacists demended a fee for every patient that will be entitled to collect his/her free medicines for the private pharmacies. Now I ask UHM to say it views because I'm convinced that although they keep a very low profile, there are a number of full-time pharmacists and part-timers working in private pharmacies and who are at the same time, members with UHM.
Paul Caruana
Mar 26th 2010, 10:41
After all has been said and done, one simple fact remains: medicinal prices in Malta are unacceptably high when compared to the rest of europe. This shows that the market is closed, and that there is no incentive by the outlets sellings such products to compete to provide the client with the best price.
It is on this point that the government has an absolute duty to interviene.
Owen Falzon
Mar 26th 2010, 10:18
Fully agree with the stand taken by GRTU. Medicinal prices are determined by a totally different set of criteria. The price of medicines has nothing to do with the way pharmacies are licensed to operate in Malta. It's incredible how MAM can issue such statements. I think the University should include a credit for economics in the Medicine course. Maybe doctors will then be able to speak about the very basic rule of supply and demand!!!
H Zammit
Mar 26th 2010, 10:17
Well done GRTU. As I had stated in another blog all the doctors want is to secure their income at all costs.
1. How many doctors get commissions to prescribe only certian medicines, and this against the law;
2. How many doctors actually own a pharmacy and this also against the law;
MAM has truly shown their ignorance on how highly the profession of the pharmacist is regarded. They only seem to come out to safeguard theur interests not of the patients.
j azzopardi
Mar 26th 2010, 10:04
we seem to pay for all university students ,the stipends and their education from our taxes and when they graduate, they want to take from us what we had left in our pockets after we took care of them and it goes to all professions in Malta we are their luxury makers