Currently, the figure agreed between drug manufacturing companies to sell to pharmacies is between a 12% and an 18% discount. However, in recent days they made the decision to review and modify said trade policy.
As a result, as of December 1, drugstores will begin to offer their products to pharmacies with a 7% discount. From the pharmaceutical sector they informed this medium that this decision will have an impact on the cost effectiveness of the shops, which would drop from the current 3% and 5% to 2%.
For this reason, the Association of Pharmacy Owners of the Argentine Republic (ASOFAR), the Argentine Federation of Pharmacy Chambers (FACAF), the Pharmaceutical Federation (FEFARA) and the Association of Mutual and Union Pharmacies of the Argentine Republic (AFMSRA) , expressed their concern and warned about serious problems in daily care.
The response from the chambers of pharmacy owners was made through a statement, in which they indicated that the decision of the laboratories “It will bring about a break in the profitability of pharmacies”.
Lack of medicines and attention to PAMI
In addition to exposing the complications that it will cause for the owners of the pharmacies, they also announced that “it will make it difficult for social security services, preventing the population from accessing the drug on the counters”. And they clarified: “In front of PAMI, we will clearly state that this drop in profitability will make it impossible for them to attend to it.”
“Pharmaceutical entities have echoed the above (…). The intention is to inform our clients and patients about the problems we will have to replenish the stock,” they expanded.
At the same time, they stressed that they will do “everything in our power to avoid it.” And they indicated that one of the actions that they will take in the next few hours will be to go before the state regulators “so that at a negotiating table we can stop this harmful attempt.”
Lastly, they also warned that the impact on profitability will make it difficult to deal with wage increases agreed upon in parities. “It will be very difficult to meet the salary commitments agreed with our workers if this goes ahead”they pointed out.
Within this framework, the chambers of the sector called a meeting of pharmacies that will take place on November 17 at 3:00 p.m. at the Hotel Novotel, located in the City of Buenos Aires, to evaluate the steps to follow.
Price Agreement Review
A few days after the current agreement expires drug priceswhich would end on November 18, pharmaceuticals intend to add new conditions to the pact in case an extension is confirmed, while the Government of Alberto Fernández tries to lower the high inflation rates.
For now, the agreement signed on September 19, 2022 determines maximum increases for the following 60 days, with a cap of up to one percentage point below the Consumer Price Index (CPI), reported in the previous month. This is the same agreement that had already been signed on July 19, and was later extended.
Source: Ambito
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