Medicines which were out of stock in government dispensaries could be found in their thousands in the pharmacies forming part of the government-run Pharmacy of Your Choice Scheme (POYC), the UHM said today, saying this amounted to discrimination against patients using the dispensaries.

The union also complained of shortage of staff at the dispensaries and lack of attention by the Health Department.

It said that it was unacceptable that the dispensaries were not supplied when the required medicines were in the POYC stores.

It also observed that while patients who used the POYC could go to government dispensaries if they did not find the medicines they needed at their own pharmacies, the reverse was not possible for patients who were not in the POYC scheme.

The UHM warned that it would take industrial action unless the situation was rectified.

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