By James Giannecchini on 14 January 2013 Those who the Pharmacy Magazine
Balduzzi tries an overhead kick from midfield. We apologize for the football metaphor, but it gives a good idea: for those not accustomed to football contextualisation, it will suffice to say that the Minister of Health wanted to attempt a great coup of political skill, perhaps a little risky, to resolve some aspects concerning the question of the new salary. Balduzzi has thrown on the table a new proposal that uses a mixed system: two bands for pharmacies and a single band for wholesalers. A proposal that took everyone by surprise and was greeted with distrust and amazement. Federfarma, for example, has not yet communicated anything on the matter and for now has limited itself to observing that the only agreement to which it will sign must maintain the margins as at 30 June 2012, the stabilization of pharmacies' turnovers and compliance with shares of each member of the supply chain. But what does this new proposal entail in a nutshell? In the meantime, we can say that with this counter-proposal made by Balduzzi we refer to drugs dispensed under the NHS regime and it establishes that for drugs under 50 Euros, there is a fixed fee per package dispensed equal to 0.55 Euros, with an increase of Euros 0.10 for pharmacies with turnovers of less than 258,228.45 Euros. Furthermore, for medicines no longer covered by the patent included in the transparency lists and with a retail price corresponding to the reference price, an additional fixed fee of 0.50 euros is recognized. A portion of variable remuneration equal to 17% of the retail price of the medicinal product must be added to the fixed quotas indicated.
For medicines with a price higher than 50 euros, the fixed fee per package dispensed rises to 5.5 euros, always increased by 0.10 euros for pharmacies with an annual turnover of less than 258,228.45 euros. The variable portion, on the other hand, drops to 10% of the drug's retail price. Since 2014, the value of the surcharge for pharmacies with an annual turnover of less than 258,228.45 Euros has changed annually on the basis of the number of entitled persons, without prejudice to the total amount of 7,994,000 Euros. This with regard to pharmacists, while for wholesalers, as we have already said, there is only one band and a fixed fee per package is envisaged, again per package dispensed under the NHS, equal to 0.10 Euros, and an additional fixed fee by 0.06 EUR for each drug no longer covered by the patent with a retail price corresponding to the reference price, plus a variable share equal to 1.90% of the drug's retail price. The proposal is on the table, the experts are studying it, you can hear the ticking of the calculator keys, but for now, few are expressing their views on the new proposal. We'll see if Balduzzi scored or hit the post.
