Agadir – Morocco’s Competition Council has proposed the development and application of new criteria for creating new pharmacies with the aim of resolving the current imbalances in the sector.
According to the Council’s opinion on competition in medicine distribution markets, the council suggested that precise and measurable criteria be adopted when the establishment of new pharmacies is approved.
This criteria will take into account the actual number of people in the area, and the time or distance required for patients to access the nearest pharmacy. This will help in assessing whether there is a need for a pharmacy in the area.
The Council states that these criteria should not be applied in isolation but as part of a wider strategy in territorial planning.
The goal is to maintain the economic viability of existing pharmacies by not allowing them to become saturated in some areas. It seeks to ensure that citizens have equitable and uninterrupted access to pharmaceutical products regardless of where they live.
By implementing this strategy, the Council claims that it will lead to a more coherent and balanced national system of pharmacies.
Beyond geographic distribution, the Council also suggests changing the opening hours of pharmacies to be flexible and adapt to local demands of their communities.
The Council argues that more flexible opening hours could have a significant impact in improving access to medicines, especially during non-traditional business hours. It would also provide more autonomy to the owners of pharmacies.
Furthermore, the Council suggests that a new system of remuneration for pharmacists be implemented instead of the current one.
This system, which consists of two sources of income for the pharmacist, is already used in several countries.
The first source is the margin paid based on the price of the medicine. This is the same way they are currently being paid.
The second source of income is the fee paid for each prescription they dispense, regardless of the price of the medicine.
