Constant supply of medicines in Montenegro is a priority, and the Health Insurance Fund, together with the Ministry of Health, Montefarma and the Ministry of Finance, is doing everything in their power to keep it that way.
It was announced by the Fund after The association of private pharmacies "Pharmacija plus" said that private pharmacies have been put in a hopeless situation, and that they will be forced to stop dispensing prescription drugs..
"The functioning of the system is not threatened. The new management of the Health Insurance Fund of Montenegro, despite the complex inherited financial situation, managed to regularly service the needs of the health care system of Montenegro," claim the Fund.
They specify that the practice so far has been to settle the obligations towards private pharmacies in full, while the debt was piling up towards Montefarm.
"In this way, problems only piled up in Montefarm, and citizens must know that the activities of individuals in the system so far put ZUA "Montefarm" in a hostage position. Although private pharmacies have been aware from the beginning of the irregular funding of ZUA CG "Montefarm" from the state, they never reacted to the stated fact of the existence and creation of a constant debt towards Montefarm, nor did such a situation bother them, on the contrary. Their reaction came when a situation arose where their personal interest was threatened," the Fund's announcement reads.
The institution points out that they have repeatedly informed private pharmacies that certain funds are expected from the Ministry of Finance for this purpose.
"With such an attitude, private pharmacies show that their patients are not their priority, but as we mentioned, they are guided solely by their own interests. Their reactions are aimed at creating a wrong image and deceiving the public, wanting to disturb the citizens and put pressure on the Fund as well as the entire system," the Fund emphasizes.
They say that the citizens will not have any consequences due to these and similar reactions of private pharmacies, because, as we mentioned, they will be able to fulfill prescribed prescriptions in Montefarma pharmacies (55 pharmacies), which are optimally supplied and there are no delays in the procurement and delivery of drugs that are prescribed and dispensed at the burden of the Fund's resources. At the moment, we have a regular supply of medicines, which is not threatened by debts incurred in the previous period, created by the previous management.
According to them, for the sake of the public's interest, they point out that "a large part of the wholesale drugstores, in addition to their primary status, organized the retail trade very well and in a planned manner, opening new pharmacies, in order to take over and control at this level as well and thereby establish complete control over the supply of medicines to the citizens of Montenegro".
"We further point out that in the previous period, the public was deceived by a number of private pharmacies, in such a way that they tried to create the image that the new concept of contracting with private individuals will create a shortage of medicines, that insured persons of the Fund will not be able to pick up medicine on prescription and that will create large crowds in front of pharmacies, as well as that it will be difficult for insured persons of the Fund to exercise this right. However, we are all witnesses that all of the above did not happen, and the claims of private pharmacies are absolutely unfounded and show the correctness of our decision to enter into the reform of this part of the health system", say the Fund.
They reminded that the Fund concluded contracts with 120 pharmacies, which provided the entire assortment of medicines from the List of Medicines, all with the aim of regular and continuous supply of medicines to insured persons.
"In accordance with the indications defined in the List of Medicines and with a duly prescribed prescription by the selected doctor, the medicine can be sold in pharmacies with which the Fund has a contract, that is, in 55 pharmacies of ZUA CG "Montefarm" and in 120 private pharmacies. If it is not an integral part of the mentioned list, the insured person cannot procure the necessary medicine at the expense of the mandatory health insurance funds," the Fund reminds.
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