Patients collecting free medicines from pharmacies should be made to pay on collection and get reimbursed later by the State, according to the Chamber for Commerce, Enterprise and Industry.

The proposal was made in response to the government's white paper to reform the pharmacy of your choice scheme.

The chamber is also proposing the introduction of a partially refundable tariff per medicine collected that will be reviewed periodically.

Reginald Fava, a pharmacist and representative of the chamber, said the current system encouraged waste because patients collected medicines they were entitled to even if they did not need them.

"It is not the first time we heard stories of people who come to us with a bag full of 'free' medicines they did not use to be exchanged for perfume or a toy," he said.

Mr Fava was speaking this afternoon at a seminar organised by the chamber on healthcare.

For patients who cannot afford to pay on collection, the chamber is proposing that the price be deducted from a pre-charged e-health card topped up by the State.

In one diatribe after another Mr Fava hit out at politicians for failing to face reality that medicines could not continue to be given out free to everyone.

He also insisted that the reluctance to continuously update the State formulary for free medicines restricted the introduction of newer, possibly more expensive medicines needed to treat diseases like cancer.

"The current system denies the patient his dignity," he insisted, since patients are constrained to beg for money to finance the cost of treatment when medicines are not available on the formulary.

He insisted the chamber wanted the government medicine system to be outsourced to the private sector relieving the government of distribution and stock costs.

Health Minister Godfrey Farrugia said when asked about the cash on collection proposal following Mr Fava's speech that he was personally against it.

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