Pharmacists on strike: a "last chance discussion" planned at the Ministry of Health, according to the Federation of Trade Unions

Pharmacists have been called to strike since the beginning of July to protest the reduction in commercial discounts applied to digital medicine purchases.

"This is a bit of a last-ditch discussion to secure a new, more favorable decision," Philippe Besset, a community pharmacist and president of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France (FSPF) and the Liberal Health Association (LDS), said on franceinfo on Monday. He will be received Wednesday afternoon by the Minister of Health and Access to Healthcare, Yannick Neuder. The pharmacists are protesting against a reduction in commercial discounts on generic drugs.

Pharmacists are also responsible for purchasing medications from pharmaceutical companies, and to negotiate prices, the government previously gave them the right to claim discounts of up to 40% on generic prices. However, last week, the government decided to reduce this discount to just 30%.

Last Thursday, pharmacists' representatives announced that they would continue their on-call strike, which began in early July. However, as this strike is "invisible" since prefectures requisition pharmacies, an essential health service, it was also decided to "strike third-party payers during the requisitions," explains Philippe Besset.

The president of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France and the Liberal Health Workers is calling on the government not to threaten an already "very fragile" balance. He points out that "260 pharmacies closed their doors last year." However, Philippe Besset continues, the decision to set the ceiling for commercial discounts on generic drugs at 30% and 15% for biosimilar drugs "will cause the closure of hundreds more pharmacies" because "community pharmacies depend 90% on resources from health insurance."

For Christelle Quermel, president of the Hérault pharmacists' union, this would represent for an average pharmacy , "between 30,000 and 50,000 euros less on the balance sheet at the end of the year . " "For me," the pharmacist explains , "that means the dismissal of one person and, in addition, most likely, a reduction in opening hours, namely Saturday afternoons."