PHARMACIES have come under fire for continuing to use a three-tier pricing system which has placed medicines beyond the reach of many people.
A short survey conducted by The Chronicle yesterday showed that some pharmacies demand forex or bond in cash only for certain medicines.
People with plastic money are made to pay more than those with bond and the prices are discounted for forex users.
Government has previously condemned the practice.
Industry and Commerce Minister Nqobizitha Ndlovu recently said: “We have noted with concern a proliferation in the number of companies and businesses engaging in preferential currency practices. This is not only against the spirit of fairness, but it is also an illegal practice.
Government is very clear that this practice is unacceptable and has to stop forthwith and if not, the law will take its course.”
Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe president, Mr Portifa Mwendera, said members are charging in foreign currency because they are not getting adequate forex from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
He said 90 percent of all medication is imported.
Mr Mwendera said the remaining 10 percent of the medicines were being sourced locally but local manufacturers are also demanding forex saying they need it to buy inputs from outside the country.
“Our greatest challenge is that 90 percent of our products are imported and the locally produced medication has a forex component. We haven’t received any forex allocation from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe since October 23 last year when we received just a million dollars,” he said.
“This is in an environment where we need about $4 million weekly to be trading optimally so this means the industry is forced to raise USD through sales.”
Mr Mwendera said pharmaceuticals owe foreign suppliers about US$20 million for medicines that have already been delivered.
Contacted for comment, Community Working Group on Health director Mr Itai Rusike said the move by pharmacies was a violation of people’s right to health as enshrined in the Constitution.
“The few pharmacies that are still accepting bond notes or RTGS have since increased their prices which are beyond the reach of ordinary Zimbabweans. This comes at a time when 90 percent of Zimbabweans do not have medical aid insurance cover which means some with chronic illnesses have not been taking their medication since the introduction of the three tier pricing system due to the very high costs of medicines,” said Mr Rusike.
He said if the situation is not addressed, many people were at risk of developing serious health complications after failing to access medicines.
“Some patients are now resorting to taking cheaper alternative drugs from the unregulated black markets thereby risking their lives. Government should therefore prioritise allocation of foreign currency to the pharmaceutical companies to enable them to import the required medicines. In the medium to long-term, the Government needs to capacitate the local pharmaceutical manufacturing companies such as Caps, Varichem and Datlabs to make sure that the country does not rely on expensive imports,” said Mr Rusike.
State Media