The National Council of the Order of Pharmacists calls on the government for urgent intervention to defuse the crisis shaking the medicine supply chain. In a press release published Thursday, the body announced that it had contacted the head of government in order to accelerate the payment of the amounts owed by the National Health Insurance Fund (Cnam) for the benefit of pharmacists.
According to the Council, the accumulation of these unpaid bills over several months has plunged private pharmacies into a critical financial situation, pushing the Association of Community Pharmacists to suspend the “third party payment” formula. A decision considered painful but has become “inevitable”, given the persistent reimbursement delays.
The Order of Pharmacists expresses deep regret over this suspension, considering that it risks hindering access to treatment for a large proportion of socially insured people, in particular low-income households who depend on this mechanism for treatment without advance payment.
The body warns that the prolongation of this crisis could have “serious repercussions” on the entire national pharmaceutical system. She mentions in particular threats weighing on the continuity of the distribution of medicines, a model recognized for its effectiveness and based on close coordination between private pharmacies, wholesale distributors, Central Pharmacy and local manufacturers. A prolonged imbalance would, according to her, endanger the country’s medicinal sovereignty.
Sustainable mechanisms
The Council calls for the establishment of sustainable mechanisms guaranteeing compliance with payment deadlines, as well as the opening of a responsible dialogue bringing together all stakeholders, in order to ensure both the continuity of service to patients and the economic stability of the sector.
He also reiterates his availability to actively contribute to the search for structural solutions to preserve the interests of patients and the sustainability of the pharmaceutical chain.
As a reminder, Cnam announced on Wednesday an exceptional measure consisting of directly reimbursing, from December 8, medicines purchased in pharmacies by those insured under the private healthcare scheme. A decision taken following the suspension of “third party payment” decided unilaterally by the Union Chamber of Community Pharmacists.
