The new policy for a dispensing fee to be charged by private pharmacies, which came into force on April 1, has brought to light unlawful behaviour by some pharmacies.
Minister of Health, Donville Inniss, told the Barbados Advocate in an exclusive interview that some pharmacies have been charging for items that are on the drug formulary and should therefore be free of cost.
“They are charging not just the dispensing fee, but charging also for the medication. That is wrong,” he asserted.
In addition, there are some pharmacies using a fee structure that is not in accordance with what the Ministry of Health and the pharmacies have agreed. The minister was quick to stress, however, that these were the actions of a few “rogue pharmacies”.
“Let me say that the majority of pharmacies and pharmacists that we work with are very much true partners of ours and we will continue to work closely together to make everything work as smoothly as possible,” he emphasised.
However, he noted that those infringing the regulations were running the risk of giving not just the new fee initiative, but also their own industry a bad name.
He assured that he has called on the Director of the Barbados Drug Service (BDS) to thoroughly investigate every complaint received, noting that the BDS may opt not to do business with
persons found to be in breach of regulations.
However, he also highlighted the role patient and consumer awareness can play in reducing the incidence of being exploited by those few pharmacies.
“We are not going to be wielding a big stick and threatening anybody,” he said of the rogue pharmacies. “I believe in the power of education and I believe that an enlightened patient or consumer will be the greatest weapon that we have to use in any such challenges that we may face.”
He explained that if patients are aware of the drugs listed on the formulary, they can challenge a pharmacist who tries to charge them for it. Likewise, if they are aware of the cost of their medication they would be in a position to query the dispensing fee charged.
He pointed out that one benefit to the implementation of the dispensing fee noted thus far has been that members of the public are gaining a better appreciation of the actual cost of their medication.
“I think it’s going to start a behavioural change in the population. People perhaps will start to pay more attention to diet, exercise and start leading healthier lives,” he observed.
He said that his ministry is not looking for quick fixes, but is designing a system that is sustainable and will take the country forward. As such, they are currently working on improving the physical conditions of public pharmacies, as well as recruiting additional staff.
The minister also reported a slight increase in the number of persons filling prescriptions at government pharmacies, where they are not required to pay the dispensing fee. He however stated that this might simply be a “knee-jerk reaction” to the start of the new policy and suggested the situation will be monitored over the next three months, during which time he expects the numbers to level out.
He assured, “I’m not about being irresponsible and taking decisions that are construed to be penny wise and pound foolish. Whatever decisions we make, you can rest assured were made after deep and thorough consultation and looking towards the future.”
