Alternattiva Demokratika in Parliament it would propose legislation to ensure lower prices for medicinal products, chairman Michael Briguglio said.

Addressing a news conference in front of Mater Dei Hospital, Dr Briguglio said that while health care services should remain free for everyone, in view of the demographic changes leading to an ageing population, it should be ensured that the health care system remains sustainable.

The national health care system should be based on the values of solidarity and social cohesion as the privatisation of the health care system not only sustained inequalities but also undermined the value of inclusiveness.

"The public health care service should be supreme and should guarantee universal essential services. It should also guarantee that both state and private services are reaching the established standards.  There should be a health centre open for twenty four hours in every district to provide for primary and emergency care.

"The pharmacy of your choice (POYC) scheme should be extended so that patients benefiting from this scheme are not faced with the difficulty of out of stock medicine, and patients are granted the right to collect medicines from any pharmacy instead of the present centralised system where Government procures the lot itself. Government should refund pharmacies according to just and established pricing".

Dr Briguglio said that the importation of medicines should be reformed so as to reduce the price of medicines. The Government should consider its involvement in the importation of essential medicine should the need arise. This should help to ensure the affordability of prices if there were market distortions, since Government could benefit from economies of scale whilst enhancing competition".

AD general secretary Ralph Cassar added: "Licences should be issued so that certain medicines which do not require a prescription are made available from other shops which are not necessarily pharmacies. This system is successfully employed in other countries such as England, Italy and Germany".

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