ICPA has embarked on an extensive campaign to eradicate the perversity of closed DSP’s and penalty co-payments exercised by Medical Schemes. To this end, ICPA has undertaken the following: ICPA has engaged the media and held press conferences in Johannesburg and Cape Town to discuss this and other challenges affecting independent community pharmacy. Click here for the media release. ICPA has instituted an appeal process with CMS, the case is due to be held on 15 April 2016, to declare these practices undesirable. ICPA has also been gathering affidavits from its members in this regard, to present to the High Court if necessary. ICPA has launched a petition which encourages the consumer to sign as an approach to engage affected medical scheme beneficiaries, i.e. the consumer. Click here to download the ICPA petition against Medical Schemes’ closed pharmacy networks and penalty co-payments levied on chronic medicine. The request is that all pharmacy personnel – belonging to a medical scheme that is inconvenienced by these rules – sign the petition, but more importantly promote the petition to your customers. ICPA has also launched the petition on the Avaaz petition website (Link: http://bit.ly/1XfaKpV), if you prefer signing and promoting it digitally and via social media. We urge you to participate in this worthy cause by canvasing the consumer to sign the hard copy version of the petition. You are requested to return the original petition form in a sealed envelope, addressed to ICPA, for collection by the UTI representative by the 30 April 2016. Alternatively kindly post the original petition back to ICPA at the following address: Independent Community Pharmacy Association
- Unit 3
- Mews 2
- Rosmead Centre
- 67 Rosmead Avenue
- Kenilworth
- Cape Town
- 7708
We appeal to all pharmacists to remain cognisant of their customer’s sensitive, personal information on the petition form. The objective is to receive at least 100 000 signatures which will support the ICPA’s effort in their courtroom challenge. ICPA will continue to promote the common interest of Independent Community Pharmacy and the right to stay independent together.