No annual fee increase for pharmacy professionals next year – council

The South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) has announced that it has resolved to halt all annual fee increases for pharmacy professionals next year.

“This in recognition of the selfless efforts by pharmacy professionals throughout the country in the fight against Covid-19 and in solidarity with the medicines experts in the multidisciplinary healthcare team, the regulator of the pharmacy profession has placed a moratorium on 2021 annual fee increases for all pharmacy professionals and facilities,” the council said in a statement.

The SAPC is responsible for recording pharmacies (manufacturing, wholesalers, hospital, and community pharmacies), registering pharmacy professionals, regulating their conduct, and promoting ethical conduct in the pharmacy profession, among others.

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The 25-member council collective also opted to absorb any inflationary and service cost increases amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

SAPC president Mogologolo Phasha said the council doesn’t expect its ability to fulfil its mandate to be weakened by this decision.

“We are confident that the services offered by the SAPC to both pharmacy professionals and the public will not be affected by this decision and that their quality will remain of an acceptable standard,” he said.

However, Phasha further said he doesn’t believe the decision will hold in the long run.

“While fee adjustment moratoriums are not sustainable in the long term, particularly due to inflationary pressures on operational expenditure, we recognise that 2020 has been a tough year for the economy and most of our colleagues on the frontline in the war against Covid-19 may have to do with reduced incomes or below-inflation salary increases,” he added.

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Meanwhile, SAPC CEO Amos Masango urged pharmacy professionals for their contribution in the fight against Covid-19.

“We are still in the midst of a pandemic, and, as such, urge all our colleagues on the Covid-19 war frontline, be they in manufacturing pharmacies, research/academia, community pharmacies or hospitals, to continue to make a meaningful input towards the health of patients,” Masango said.

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