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Tag: pharmacy
Pharmacy network Dr. Max answers to the effort of the Ministry of Health to cancel the loyalty systems with the advertising campaign, which promotes them. Dr. Max is doing this in the time, when cancelling of loyalty system was already approved by the Government. Company Mirakl, the provider of Dr. Max pharmacies, believes that members of Parliament will consider and evaluate the arguments for and against remaining of loyalty systems and loyalty systems will be maintained. They, however, see the sense in promotion, as even if the ban of loyalty systems is passed, it would only apply to the prescription pharmaceuticals.
Pharmacy network Dr. Max falling into the investment group Penta, has a new CEO. Multi-national holding operating in Slovakia, Czech republic and Poland, will be led by Briton Jonathan Farrington. J. Farrington worked in pharmaceutical retail and wholesale. He has experience with managing of one of the biggest pharmaceutical and drugstore networks worldwide – Boots Alliance and also worked for companies Celesio and Mobil Oil (ExxonMobil).
Bonuses and discounts, offered by pharmacies in loyalty systems, will probably end next year. Government has approved the proposal of Minister of Health Zuzana Zvolenská, which prohibits them. Pharmacies will be able to offer the discounts by over-the-counter pharmaceuticals even after the governmental ban only if they would not mean a bonus for purchasing of prescription pharmaceuticals. If Parliament and President will approve this amendment, also the purchasing of vaccines and determination of the prices of pharmaceuticals on prescription will be changed.
Ministry of Health has submitted to Government the amendment to the act on pharmaceuticals contrary to the legislation rules. This is claimed in the statement of company Mirakl – the provider of pharmacy network Dr. Max. Ministry should have, according to this company, submitted to Legislative Council which is an advisory body of the Government the amendment to the act without the mandatory information about why it did not satisfy the public comment. In this comment 7 781 citizens have objected to the prohibition of loyalty systems in pharmacies.
Pharmacists influence a fifth of patients in Slovak and Czech republic by choosing of pharmaceutical. The degree of their impact varies depending on particular types of diseases. This results from the study of GfK company on key factors and role of pharmacist by choosing of pharmaceutical, which have made the research on the sample of 2 000 respondents from Slovakia and Czech republic. According to this research, Slovak pharmacists have a little more intensive impact to the decision making of patients and also often offer the alternatives to the prescribed pharmaceutical.
Ministry of Health reportedly does not have any arguments for cancellation of loyalty systems in pharmacies or justification for refusing of public comment for their remaining, which has been already signed by 7 700 people. Representatives of Dr. Max pharmacies believe that Government will notice the missing arguments by discussing on this material. Meanwhile they have launched the petition for preserving of loyalty systems. As was, however, announced by Zuzana Zvolenská, Ministry insists on the ban of loyalty systems.
Unused pharmaceuticals that people have not used, will be soon accumulated in pharmacies. State Institute for Drug Control (SIDC), which used to pay for their collection and disposal each spring and autumn, has stopped the autumn collection. The reason is a lack of money and situation will not get better even next year, even though this service is set by the law. For now it is not clear when the collection will be renewed. Pharmacies will until then have to store the unused pharmaceuticals by themselves.
Cancelling of loyalty systems in pharmacies as well as the change of conditions for network pharmacies are according to Antimonopoly Office not justified enough. Newly it will not be possible to provide one person with the permit for providing of pharmaceutical care in more than one pharmacy. Office considers this as a significant intervention to the business environment, which will disable businessmen to grow. According to the Office the submitter also gave no reasons that led him to such a strict form of regulation.
Network of pharmacies Dr. Max owned by investment group Penta is launching the petition for retaining of loyalty systems in pharmacies. This way it reacts to the effort of Ministry of Health to prohibit these discounts. Ministry has justified its proposal in the amendment to the act on pharmaceuticals by the fact that loyalty systems have marketing character and weaken the professional and medical character of pharmaceutical activity.
Slovak Pharmaceutical Chamber welcomes the amendment to the act on pharmaceuticals, which should prohibit the loyalty systems. After its approval also the networks of pharmacies should end. This legal standard should in the case of its approval in Government, Parliament and after the sign of the President enter into force on January 2, 2013. According to the Vice President of the Chamber, Ondrej Sukeľ, up to a quarter of patients are seeking for discounts and bonuses in the pharmacies. Discounts in pharmacies according to him, significantly affects especially pensioners.
