Pharmacists go on strike for the second time in ten days

Pharmacists in Morocco went on Friday on a new strike nationwide to protest the provisions of the bill relating to the code of medicines and pharmacy introduced in the Parliament, while the health ministry reaffirmed its willingness to open dialog with the sector's professionals.

The Friday strike comes after a first observed by pharmacists last December 29 called on by the national federation of pharmacists unions of Morocco (FNSPM).

Mounir Tadlaoui of the FNSPM told the Moroccan news agency MAP pharmacists have been forced to go on strike again to voice their refusal of the bill provisions "which was drafted without consulting the sector's professionals."

Tadlaoui, also chairman of Rabat-Sale pharmacists union chamber, deemed the bill "did not take into account the legitimate claims of pharmacists," noting the professionals have been keen on supplying citizens with medicines countrywide.

The pharmacists are protesting the licence given to clinics and hospitals to have drug stocks, the entitlement of prefectoral and provincial authorities to authorise the opening of pharmacies and the liberalisation of baby formula (milk) selling outside pharmacies.

The strikers also want to maintain the 300m distance requirement between two pharmacies.

Abdelmoumen Mahli, chief officer of the pharmacy department at the health ministry, told MAP that dialog remains open with all partners and involved parties.

Mahli added the medicine code is not meant for pharmacists, only, but also for "producers and distributors who accepted the bill provisions," noting the FNSPM is the only party that called for the strikes in spite of the guaranties made by the Prime and health ministers.