The pharmacy of your choice scheme - which enables patients to pick up their free medicines from their chosen pharmacy - is expected to be extended to the whole of Malta and Gozo by next March.

The scheme yesterday reached Rabat, the ninth locality in which it is now in place.

But there is still a lack of human resources to carry out the work needed, Ray Xerri, the officer in charge of the scheme's planning and implementation, said.

Last year, Dr Xerri had lamented that the lack of human resources was having an effect on the preparations for the scheme. He told The Times yesterday that, in order to get the scheme running smoothly, some 10 members of staff were needed to help in the preparation of medicine packages and a pharmacist was required too.

At present his team is only made up of four data imputters, four people to prepare the medicine packages, two administrators and a pharmacist on reduced hours.

Some 2,390 patients living in the nine localities, including Rabat, Għargħur, Buġibba and Mellieħa, are now able to pick up the medicines they are entitled to for free from a pharmacy of their choice.

Although the exact number of patients entitled to medicines on the national health scheme is not known, it is thought that there are between 100,000 and 120,000 people entitled to free medicines.

Apart from offering a personalised service and cutting down on waiting times for patients who currently have to queue for hours outside government pharmacies to pick up their medicines, the scheme is also intended to cut down on wastage. Parliamentary Secretary for Health Joe Cassar said that, although figures were not yet available, an auditing service already indicates that wastage is on the decline.

The drop in wastage had been expected since pharmacists are now able to keep a closer eye on what medicines patients are taking and point out when pharmaceuticals are no longer needed.

Pharmacist Claire Shoemake said there have been cases when patients were taking medicines which they did not need.

More than 22,500 patients have already registered for the scheme in 29 localities.