Updated | Labour to improve POYC scheme

Adds Health ministry's statement at 4:17pm

Opposition MP Marie Louise Coleiro Preca said that while Labour agrees with the Pharmacy of Your Choice (POYC) scheme, it is studying ways and means to change and improve the scheme.

The MP explained that the scheme, introduced five years ago, has not yet been extended to all the Maltese and Gozitan territory, although the government had promised that the scheme will be available in all localities by 2010.

During a press conference at the Labour headquarters in Hamrun, Coleiro Preca stressed that the scheme's shortcoming have not been addressed although the scheme was introduced over 5 years ago.

"Was an evaluation ever carried out?" the MP asked as she went on to list a number of problems which patients face when making use of the service.

Among the shortcomings, Coleiro Preca mentioned the frequent shortages of medicines, the lack of accessibility and the lack of uniformity in the services provided.

"Another problem is the lack of staff at the POYC unit and the it is evident that despite the obvious shortcomings the government has never carried out a proper consultation process involving pharmacists and other stakeholders," the MP said.

In regards to the frequent shortages of medicines, the MP explained that the problem could be resolved by having a proper IT system in place alongside proper audit trails and projections, which would ensure that medicines are available on the long term.

"I also believe that there is a serious budgetary problem and it is clear that the government has no priorities and no plan," the MP added.

Citing an example of mismanagement in the public health sector, Coleiro Preca pointed out that there is a shortage of cough medicine at the St Vincent de Paule elderly home, with no substitute medicine available. She added that patients are not being treated for their flu symptoms and this would lead to an outbreak of chest infections and in turn this will become a burden on Mater Dei Hospital.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry hit out at the Opposition's statements and said that "instead of explaining its position on programmes such as the national cancer screening programme, Labour declared that the health system was inconvenient."

The ministry said the POYC scheme was an example of convenience and explained that 83,818 persons make use of the service in 160 pharmacies in 59 localities. It pointed out that 11 localities are not included in the scheme yet.

The ministry said that while the World Health Organisation described the Maltese public health sector as a role model for other European countries and a Eurobarometer survey revealed that 82% of the Maltese people wee satisfied with the health sector, Labour insisted with its criticism, without putting forward ant proposals.