1st April was not the deadline for the implementation of the Pharmacy Fees put forward by the Pharmacy Council. There are several modalities to be discussed and decided before the introduction of such a professional fee. The only certainty at the moment is the amount of the fee, which amounts to Rs 100 but this will not be a static fee. The Pharmacy Council has ruled in a statement on 28th March that these “Professional and Consultation fees are neither approved nor recommended” at this stage. Nitin Kumar Busguth, Vice Chairman of the Pharmacy Council, met the Health Minister on Monday.
Pharmacy Council press release
According to the statement, the implementation of the discordant fees is still “under discussion“. The implementation “is subject to all necessary administrative approvals and clearances“. Thirdly, the Pharmacy Council of Mauritius calls upon all consumers to report and lodge a complaint in case of possible abuse to the Pharmacy Council of Mauritius. Such services are not to be provided “over the counter“. So much for the latest official information from the council.
A leak to sensation-mongering press
However, the Vice-Chairman said that no deadline had actually been communicated. “In fact, the date of the meeting of all parties was already scheduled for 29th March, which is maintained. We understand that the messages between the members and parties concerned have been leaked to some sensation-mongering press,” said Nitin Kumar Busguth. Subsequently, the discussions were fueled by speculations. Besides, the meeting between the Vice Chairman of the Parmacy Council and Minister Kailesh Jagutpal was to discuss the modalities, work on the amount of Rs 100 per prescription to come out with a win-win conclusion for both parties and to list all these costs incurred by a pharmacy and the implications of pharmacists.
Pharmacy Fees
There are three types of fees in all, namely the Professional Counselling Fees, Professional Prescription Fees and Professional Prescription Fees (Psychotropic Drugs). The Vice Chairman referred to Section 4(3) of the Professional Responsibility of the Pharmacy Council (Code of Practice) Regulations 2021. “A professional fee of Rs 100 is applicable for a prescription containing pharmaceutical products listed as dangerous drugs or antibiotics. The fee in question is calculated on a 10% basis for other prescriptions but shall not exceed Rs 100. The counselling fee will also be charged at an amount not exceeding Rs 100.”
The Professional Counselling Fees
Thus, explaining further, “the counselling fee will be imposed only if the pharmacist has to privately counsel a patient, who is seeking a certain medicine without a doctor’s prescription for a certain pathology or condition. This will take place in a special booth which will usually take between 20 and 30 minutes. It will not be about these little practical tips on a cheaper drug or generic available. For instance, a box of Doliprane at Rs 74.50 will cost him Rs 74.50 even if some advice is asked“, says Nitin Kumar Busguth.
Professional Prescription Fees
As for this fee, our interlocutor explains that the system in Mauritius is such that prescriptions are handwritten. They are sometimes indecipherable, the reason for the allusion ‘lecritir Docter‘. It is rare that pharmacists receive computerised prescriptions. So, the job behind, on a daily basis, is to call the doctor back, wait for him to be available and go through a series of descriptions and explanations concerning the patient and take the listed medicines again with the right dosage. “On one hand, there are the costs and on the other hand, it’s a question of time.”
Professional Prescription Fees (Psychotropic Drugs)
The work behind it is even more delicate. “As these are more specific and sensitive drugs, the work mentioned above must be done in case of misunderstanding but it is mainly about dosages. Pharmacists often find that some dosages are too much for one patient. This is a human error. Very often, especially for this category of medicines, we are faced with false prescriptions. If the pharmacist doubts the authenticity of the prescription, or if the patient seems dubious, there is still a lot of work to do,” he says.
Covering all surpluses
Nitin Kumar Busguth also lists other costs incurred by pharmacies, such as travel costs for certain strictly controlled medicines that pharmacists have to go pick up in person or medicines that require special storage, such as in the fridge where pharmacists do not charge more while “for an ice-cold drink at the shop or in the supermarket, there is a fixed surplus of Rs 3.00“.
So, this Rs 100 fees will be used to cover all these surplus charges, which include expenses, in monetary terms and professional advice, “that public take for granted and which the Pharmacy Council of Mauritius, created in 2016, following the Professional Responsibility of the Pharmacy Council (Code of Practice) Regulations 2021 will soon bring into force. For the time being, the calculation is 10% but not exceeding Rs 100. The price will evolve with time and the high cost of living but still on the rate of Rs 10%,” said the Vice Chairman of the Pharmacy Council of Mauritius.
Discussions are ongoing and other elements will be confirmed at the round table meeting on 29th March. The implementation of these fees is certainly not for the 1st April but it will not be long.
