Pharmacy council halts 2021 fee adjustments amid Covid-19 pandemic
The South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) says it won’t be implementing any fee adjustments for pharmacy professionals in 2021.
The 25-member Council collective also opted to absorb any inflationary and service cost increases amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
SAPC president Mogologolo Phasha says the council doesn’t expect its ability to fulfil its mandate to be weakened by this decision.
“In recognition of the selfless efforts by pharmacy professionals throughout the country in the fight against COVID-19 and in solidarity with the medicine experts in the multidisciplinary healthcare team, the regulator of the pharmacy profession announced that it has placed a moratorium on 2021 annual fee increases for all pharmacy professionals and facilities.
“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,” Phasha says.
But 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.”
The council further applauded pharmacy professionals for their contribution in the fight against Covid-19.
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