Pharmacy council sets fees

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"Setting the fees will provide a basis to investigate allegations of overcharging by pharmacists," SA Pharmacy president, Bada Pharasi told journalists in Pretoria.

He said the publication of the fees would clarify payment for services, and give medical schemes the opportunity to incorporate services into their benefit schedule for 2010.

"The publication of these fees will protect consumers from exploitation while ensuring that pharmacists are remunerated fairly for their services."

Under the guidelines published in the Government Gazette, the fee for after hours or call out services must be levied separately.

The guideline also states that services for which a pharmacist may levy a fee may not be advertised in a manner that is not factually correct, is misleading, and harms the dignity of the pharmacy profession.

Pharmacists may not tout or attempt to tout for services for which he wish to levy a fee. The recommended fees came into being following a study commissioned by the SA Pharmacy Council to determine professional fees that pharmacists may charge.

Pharasi said the study showed that pharmacists performed a professional function independently of any product that was supplied or sold.

"It is therefore logical and fair that pharmacists should be appropriately remunerated. Professional fees for these services should be independent of the price of any medicines supplied," he said.

The recommended fees aimed to set a uniform price for service country wide for pharmacists. According to the list in the Government Gazette, blood pressure monitoring by a pharmacist would cost R44.40, pregnancy screening costs R79.60, reproductive health services cost R69,50 while administration of immunisation costs R54.70.

Pharasi said pharmacists would display the price list in their pharmacies to enable consumers to know what fee to pay for services provided.

He said the council supported government's efforts to make medicine affordable and accessible, and to ensure that pricing of medicines was transparent.

Source: Sapa

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