WINDHOEK – With a plethora of new pharmacies targeting a share of future pharmaceutical services to the public comes the risk newcomers that financially struggle to survive could engage in fraudulent and questionable practices to compete in the booming market.
New Era yesterday spoke to some practising pharmacists to gauge their views on the proliferation of new pharmacies in the capital and other parts of the country.
A Windhoek pharmacist who spoke on condition of anonymity feels the Pharmacy Council should thoroughly study the viability of a pharmacy’s survival before giving the go-ahead to a new pharmacy to open its doors.
According to the pharmacist who has over thirty years’ industry experience, a pharmacy’s likelihood to survive financially is increased if it is set up in an area of at least a thousand families.
“These days you find a pharmacy even at houses where there are not many people or businesses. This can cause fraud because they can’t survive,” the pharmacist said. In such a case, medical aid companies, especially if they don’t have auditors would suffer because the pharmacy “would claim stuff that they shouldn’t be claiming and when they (medical companies) realise that, it’s too late,” the pharmacist said.
Another pharmacist, Chris Vermeulen, the owner of Victoria Pharmacy told New Era he sees no problem with new pharmacies opening for operations, taking into consideration that there is a shortage of pharmacists in the country.
“We need more pharmacists. There are not enough pharmacists and I have seen the qualifications of some of the owners of these new pharmacies, they are competent,” Vermeulen assured the public.
The only problem, said Vermeulen, who spoke from experience is that new pharmacies might not always have all the prescribed medicines due to a lack of experience.
Grace Mangwenzi, a pharmacist and co-owner of Green Light Pharmacy said: “It’s actually a good thing that we have many pharmacies opening. With the medical field you have to look at the patient first. Of course it’s a business but you consider what is best for a patient and the community in which you operate.”
She maintained that doctors and pharmacists have to be readily accessible to avail their services to everyone. She noted pharmacists are regulated by the Pharmacy Council and if they feel there are too many in the market then they can regulate the industry. “Competition improves service, if there is a monopoly it becomes a problem,” Mangwenzi said.
The Pharmacy Council had not responded by the time of going to print. The Ministry of Health and Social Services spokesperson, Ester Paulus, was forwarded questions in this regard and had also not responded by the time of going to print.
By Alvine Kapitako