Country you go Cup you find. The proverb is well suited to the booking service for exams and visits, entrusted to affiliated pharmacies according to agreements signed in local negotiations with the local health authorities, and now also to parapharmacies. This is the case of Emilia Romagna, where the agreement was signed between the Italian National Federation of Parapharmacies (Fnpi) with the Asl of Vasta Romagna and Campania where the parapharmacies the Unitary Confederation of Free Parapharmacies has been waiting for months for a response to the offers sent to local health authorities
According to what he explains David Gullotta, president of the National Federation of Italian parapharmacies, "it is a systemic agreement that we signed yesterday with the general manager of the ASL of Vasta Romagna which will allow citizens to book a specialist visit from their pharmacist in the parapharmacies of the provinces of Rimini, Cesena and Forlì free of charge". The project, explains Gullotta, "involves the installation of the software needed to communicate with the Local Health Authorities and will soon be extended to the whole region and to all the Italian parapharmacies, proving the fact that our reality is always paying greater attention to the needs of the citizen consumer".
And this is what the parapharmacies in Campania have been wanting to do for several months, as underlined in a note from the unitary Confederation of free Italian parapharmacies: "We have sent our offer to all the local health authorities in Campania" writes Ivan Ruggiero, regional manager of the Confederation "but we have encountered multiple resistances, despite the clear pronouncement of the Antitrust, which believes it is contrary to the law to establish a "monopoly" of the Cup booking in this field too". Ruggiero reiterates that "the parapharmacies are ready to provide the service free of charge" and points out that in the province of Avellino "the pharmacies are asking to increase the cost to 3 euros". A figure that according to the owners is «in the national average which varies from 1.5 euros to 3.5 euros plus VAT, also considering the fact that the cost of the service at the Post Office is 1.3 euros and there is no professional like the pharmacist dispensing it». The Cup, he explains Mario Flovilla president of Federfarma Avellino «it has been offered free of charge in affiliated pharmacies for several years with important savings for the regional coffers. Now it is no longer sustainable and what we ask is recognition of this commitment and to adapt our agreement to the one in force in the ASL of Naples, Caserta and Benevento given that there is no regional framework agreement, which allows us to return at least of expenses.
We also intend to apply a fee charged to the citizen with the aim of creating commitment to the correct use of the service, avoiding abuses such as booking visits or exams and then not showing up. All this without prejudice to the fact that the Cup service falls within the pharmacy of services as defined by law 69 of 2009 where it is clearly specified that the service must be provided by the affiliated pharmacies, not the parapharmacies».
Simona Zazzetta – Saturday, 14 March 2015 – Pharmacist33
Emilia Romagna - Online booking of visits and specialist exams
