SA Pharmacists gain confidence in principle of NHI - Survey

Pharmacists in South Africa are increasingly supporting the idea of National Health Insurance (NHI), despite concerns that it may not be the best way to address issues in the country’s health sector, according to the results of a quarterly survey conducte

The survey of more than 200 South African pharmacists revealed a jump in confidence of 30 percentage points from 17% to 47% when asked whether they agree with the principle behind NHI.

According to Gerhard Joubert, Head of Group Marketing and Stakeholder Relations at PPS, the financial services provider focused on graduate professionals, it is positive to note such a sharp increase of confidence among local pharmacists. “At a recent Clinical Conference hosted in Grahamstown, clinical pharmacists from around the world expressed their admiration for the South African government’s attempt to improve the country’s healthcare system, noting that NHI may even be one way to address the expensive medical costs in the country.”

However, when survey respondents were asked whether they believe NHI is the solution to fix the country’s ailing health system, their confidence declined by two percentage points to 15%. “This decline reveals that while pharmacists are more confident in the principle and need of an improved healthcare system in the country, they also believe there are a number of issues that must be addressed in order for overall system such as NHI to work optimally,” says Joubert.

This was reflected by a three percentage point drop to 41% when pharmacists were asked about their confidence in the future of the healthcare system improving over the next five years.

Furthermore, confidence in whether the appointment of Designated Service Providers (DSP) - whereby a medical scheme specifies to its members exactly which healthcare provider must be used in order to receive full cover for Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs) - not adversely affecting their business was down one percentage point to 38%. “This remains a key concern for local pharmacists who perhaps perceive this as a method whereby medical schemes are restricting their members from choosing their preferred service provider.”

When asked about their confidence in medical schemes providing adequate reimbursement for chronic and acute medicines, local pharmacists’ confidence increased marginally by only one percentage point, but was still relatively low at 52% and 51% respectively.

According to Ivan Kotzé, Executive Director of the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa, the biggest frustration expressed by members of the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa is the implementation of DSP by medical schemes. This system totally ignores the longtime relationship pharmacists have with their clients and in addition deprives the consumer of their choice of service provider. In many cases the pharmacist is prepared to provide the service at the DSP remuneration level but due to the contracts medical schemes have with DSP’s they are prohibited from providing this service”

South African pharmacists also revealed an overall decline in confidence in broader socio-economic issues. Confidence in the standard of education in South Africa improving over the next five years was down five percentage points to 43%, and concern over the rising cost of education was up four percentage points to 94%. Similarly, confidence about crime and unemployment improving over the next five years was also down two percentage points with a confidence level of 38% recorded for both questions.

“The survey has revealed that while pharmacists are more confident about the implementation of NHI, they are still highly concerned about a number of key issues that directly impact their profession, as well as broader issues facing the country as a whole. It is important that these concerns are taken into consideration and steps are taken to rectify confidence levels in order to sustain the pharmaceutical profession,” concludes Joubert.

Other results from the survey:

· Confidence in the future of their profession over the next five years was down one percentage point to 72%

· When asked whether they would encourage their children to enter their profession 59% said yes, up 21 percentage points

· Confidence in the economic outlook for South Africa over the next 12 months was down five percentage points to 57%

· Confidence in the outlook for local equity / share markets was down four percentage points to 60%

· Confidence that they would remain in South Africa for the foreseeable future was up one percentage point to 80%

· Confidence that they are able to comply with the conditions of the Consumer Protection Act was down two percentage points to 65%