Thursday May 30, 2024, a large strike movement took place in French pharmacies. Between 75% et 90% pharmacies have closed their doors, according to the unions, either between 15 000 and 18 000 pharmacies on the 20 500 what does the country have?
This mobilization, unprecedented in ten years, aims to raise awareness of two major issues: drug shortages and pharmacist salaries.
We’ll explain!
Drug shortages: a persistent problem
Pharmacists denounce growing shortage of medicineswhich weakens the health system and endangers patients.
- In 2023, almost 5,000 reports stock shortages or risks of stock shortages were recorded by the National Medicines Safety Agency, compared to approximately 2 000 two years before.
This situation highlights failures in supply chainst et heavily penalizes patientswho are sometimes forced to travel long distances to find their treatments.
Salary demands: widespread discontent
Beyond the shortages, pharmacists are also demanding an increase in their fees, considered insufficient.
They emphasize that the 20% increase in their income since 2019 masks a more complex reality: their remuneration depends mainly on fees and not on margins on medicines.
Ongoing negotiations and uncertainties about the future
Negotiations are underway between pharmacists’ unions and Health Insurance, but for the moment, the government’s proposals seem far from meeting the expectations of the profession:
- Faced with their indignation, the government made a proposal salary increase of 10% and an increase in the increase for night guards.
Strong issues and growing mobilization
The mobilization of pharmacists highlights major issues for public health and the future of the profession. The shortage of medicines and insufficient remuneration constitute major challenges that threaten access to care and the viability of pharmacies.
Further information
- For patients, in the event of a strike, it is important to anticipate their medication needs and check whether their pharmacy is open before going there.
- In case of emergency, a night guard system was extended to the day of May 30, 2024.
- For more information on the pharmacists’ strike, you can consult the websites of the FSPF and USPO unions, as well as the website of the National Council of the Order of Pharmacists.
Editor
May 30, 2024, at 3:59 p.m.
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