Pharmacists protest against new informational system

The representatives of the pharmacists are categorically against the implementation, untill April 26, of the Computerized Informational System, imposed by the Government’s decision dating January 25, 2006. The chief-pharmacist of “TreviFarm” drug store, Nina Ababii, declared to Info-Prim Neo that the compulsory electronic program is very inconvenient and expensive. “The small drug stores and those from the rural zones would not be able to cope with the necessary expenditures for implementing the new system and will be forced to close their activity”. According to the quoted source, this is the cause why some drug stores already closed, the drugs advanced in prices and the cheap drugs, strictly necessary for the health and life of a person, might disappear. “According to the Decision of The Government, each pharmaceutical product must have a special sticker that costs 0,26 lei. Moreover, the drug stores should have supplementary expenses regarding the employment of a special person to stick these tickets. In the case of small medicaments, these stickers cover the information about the product”. Nina Ababii says the pharmacy she represents is not able to cover all the expenses for the purchase of the necessary equipment. According to the director of the “Stefania Manole” pharmacy, Iurie Manole, the authors of the system don’t know or don’t take into consideration the difference between a drug store and a pharmaceutical storehouse, fact that could lead to some inconveniences and even to blocking of the system. Besides the pharmacists don’t have a proper instruction to use the computer program, on the basis of which the system works, especially the elder employees. They weren’t even offered sufficient time for instruction. They will learn with difficulty the new programs or they will have to be dismissed, their lack of experience being immediately perceptible. The quoted source considers that “the necessity of introducing the new system is just an excuse and in fact the aim is to extort money out of this novelty”. In this conditions, the small drug stores will fail, states Iurie Manole. The director of a drug store, Elena Vasileva declared that according to the Decision of the Government, the new electronic programs have to be installed free of charge, but the Drug Agency instead of giving full versions of the programs, offered demo versions that don’t function properly. According to her, for the instalment of the programs, each drug store must pay nearly 370 USD. Elena Vasileva also told that besides the spending regarding the instalment of the new program, the drug stores must buy as well, scanners, cash boxes etc. The quoted source mentioned that using the tickets for each product, imposed by the same decision, is absolutely useless. According to Elena Vasilieva the tickets will not influence at any rate the quality of the drugs, instead will contribute to their rise in price. The pharmacists stated that the authors of the computer program should have consulted them initially and only after that should elaborate an informational system that afterwards could be tested in some drug stores. This is the only civilized method to convince other stores that the system is functional and necessary. At the same time, the representatives of the drug stores declare that the new program requires a lot of time whilst in use, fact that could lead to forming queues. “Persons who suffer from heart diseases could die in queues”, they say. Also it is not clear on what grounds the hospital drug stores will function and how the evidence of the drugs produced on request will be kept. The new program is not planed for this type of situations, these will be examined particularly. The President of the Independent Pharmacists’ League (LFI) affiliated to the Small Business Association, Sergiu Ziuzenco mentioned for Info-Prim Neo that even if there are only 10 days till the dead-line, it is hard for the drug stores from Chisinau to comply with the new requirements. Moreover, the proposed program is not qualitative. The program has been tested at three drug stores in Chisnau, with the participation of the President’s councillor, Oleg Reidman and independent experts. They stated their negative opinion regarding the program. It is not efficient, as the authors claim, but is 10 years outdated comparing to the program used at present in the drug stores, emphasized the quoted source. According to Ziuzenco, the stickers don’t protect in any way the product. “The ticket has a bar code, but the new program doesn’t ask for its registration, thus it requires the producer’s code, in conclusion, it is absolutely useless. The president of LFI says he already informed The Organization for Economical Cooperation and Development about this case. At April 26 a round table with the participation of the concerned persons will be organized. At the event the leadership of the Small Business Association together with the pharmacists could take the decision to organize protests. According to the Decision of the Government, the pharmacists from out Chisinau are obliged to implement the new automate informational system till the end of this year. Totally, the drug stores will be imposed to spend nearly 36 million lei. In the Republic of Moldova activate about 2000 small drug stores that have about 16 thousand employees.