Pharmacies to start ‘Cash and Carry’ system

Suppliers of drugs to National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) subscribers, the Chamber of Pharmacy say the ‘cash and carry’ system will soon be in operation due to governments failure to pay monies owed the authorities.

They say government has refused to pay them since April last year.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Pharmacy Ghana, Anthony K Ameka, says the pharmacies who accepted NHIS cards have no money and are unable to purchase drugs from suppliers anymore.

He expresses that though they are willing to provide effective healthcare services government is not helping considering the accumulated amount in arrears.

"Government is the major beneficiary of services provided by these pharmacies and nonpayment of supplied medicines on time makes their work very difficult. We have been pressured by producers to make payments but have no money to do that".

We are overwhelmed by the situation. For a whole year we have not had payment for services rendered and this is gradually crippling our business, he added.

He stated that importing medicines these days is very difficult and each time we import, we are expected to pay within 45 days but government does not also pay within that stipulated period.

Some of the companies are folding up because government is not settling its indebtedness and owners have to contract loans at a high interest.

Foreign companies are now taking over most of the companies in Ghana because the locals are unable to overcome some of these challenges”, he observed.

He revealed that the health minister Kwaku Agyemang Manu met with them and promised he was going to ensure that they are paid soon but that has become a nine day wonder reiterating that they will no longer provide services on credit