Medicine distribution scheme already cutting waste

The Pharmacy of Your Choice Scheme is already reaping results; apart from making life easier for patients, it is contributing to cut down on waste.

Pharmacists working in two pharmacies in Mellieħa - which joined the scheme on Monday - said there have already been instances of patients asking not to be given certain medicines as they still had some left from their last visit.

This was one of the objectives of the scheme, which is costing the government €2.8 million (Lm1.2 million) a year. It also boosts the interaction between patient and pharmacist.

Speaking to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi during a visit to the Mellieħa pharmacies on Tuesday, patients said it was better to collect medicines from a pharmacist whom they already knew and who could give them advice on the pharmaceuticals they were taking.

Although pharmacists were the ones distributing medicines at health centres and community pharmacies, many argued that the vast number of patients they were seeing on a day-to-day basis made it next to impossible for them to give detailed advice.

Patients who were collecting their pharmaceuticals said the scheme was saving them having to go either to Mater Dei Hospital or the Mosta Health Centre to collect their medicines.

The scheme allows patients entitled to free medicine to pick them up from their chosen pharmacy rather than face long queues at government health centres or community pharmacies. It kicked off in Għarghur in December with Mġarr following earlier this month. About 550 people are collecting their medicines from their chosen pharmacy in Għarghur and another 600 from Mġarr.

In Mellieħa the scheme covers about 1,500 people.

Next month will see the scheme rolled out to Naxxar, Buġibba and Qawra, while pharmacies in St Paul's Bay and Mosta will start distributing medicines in March. It is expected that all patients in Malta would have registered with their chosen pharmacy by the end of the year, after which the scheme will be extended to Gozo.

Dr Gonzi said the scheme was very beneficial to elderly people and those who find it difficult to leave home. The trigger to speed up matters and introduce the scheme was a meeting with the family of a person with a disability who told him about the difficulties they went through every time they had to collect medicines.

Pharmacies are now being given medicines in bulk and it is up to them to prepare them for their patients. The Health Division said an exercise is underway, in agreement with the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin, to redeploy pharmacists and pharmacy technicians employed within the health sector to help out in the preparations and running of the scheme.