Regional Government fails to comply with Payment Plan to the Pharmacies

Press Release of the National Association of Pharmacies

The Autonomous Region of Madeira’s debt to the pharmacies is at this moment 77 million Euros.

In May 2011, the pharmacies accepted the Regional Government’s payment plan to repay the debt over a period of eight years.

The rigorous execution of the agreed payment plan is essential to guarantee the bank financing which allows the pharmacies to support the back payments they are due.

In the current context of the national banking system’s lack of liquidity, the decision to keep dispensing medicine on credit to patients is not longer in the hands of the pharmacies.

Regional Government of Madeira is fully aware of the situation.

In November 2011, the Regional Government ceased to comply with the agreed payments, making it impossible for the pharmacies to keep dispensing of medicine on credit.

Therefore, we inform that as of the 15^th of December, the pharmacies will no longer continue to dispense medicine on credit to the population of Madeira.

The pharmacies are the first to lament this situation, which also affects them negatively.

We hope the Regional Government resumes payments, complying with the accorded Payment Plan, allowing us to fulfill our financial obligations, and so ending this situation which harms both Madeirans and the region’s pharmacies