Letter from pharmacists to the SSI: 'We have reached a point where we cannot provide service'

Pharmacists have written an open letter to the Social Security Institution (SSI) to resolve both patient grievances and their own complaints. In the letter, addressed in 8 points by the All Pharmacist Employers' Union (TEİS), the statement "Pharmacists have reached a point where they can no longer provide pharmaceutical services" was included. 

The letter stated, "Certain practices of the SSI, which have been communicated to the authorities but have yielded no results, are effectively hindering pharmacists' pharmaceutical services. As pharmacists, we want this to be put to an end in 2025 and for the Institution to implement our demands to resolve these problems as soon as possible." 

The 8 points in question are as follows: 

"1- We demand that the Social Security Institution ensure that prescriptions are paid under the same conditions across Turkey. In this context, we want a guide to be prepared that will support the standard implementation of the Health Implementation Communiqué (SUT) and protocol provisions.

2- Prescriptions and reports must be issued in the Medula system in the way that medications are required to be paid. We do not want to face citizens and say, 'The doctor prescribed your medication, but the SSI does not pay for it this way.' We want to explain the medication to our patients, not how it will be paid for.

3- The SSI must monitor the public institution discounts that pharmaceutical companies are required to provide to it; it must ensure that companies that do not provide discounts do so, and this issue should not be seen as a problem between pharmacists and the companies. A legal regulation regarding Public Institution Discounts should be enacted, and deterrent penalties should be imposed on companies that do not comply. We do not want to be forced to cover the discount that a pharmaceutical company, which does not fulfill its commitment to the SSI, is supposed to provide.

4- It is impossible for our pharmacies to be places where fake prescriptions and reports can be produced. We want criminal collections to be made from the source where the fake reports and prescriptions are written. We do not want to pay the price for a crime we did not commit. Biometric security technology systems, such as palm scanning, must be urgently installed for healthcare service providers that prepare prescriptions and reports.

5- If the institution's goal is to serve its citizens, it must stop importing drugs from abroad using old SSK methods to save money and stop seeking methods to provide supposedly cheap drugs through ineffective alternative reimbursement models. These methods were previously tried in SSK hospitals and caused the SSK to incur losses by creating a huge 'black hole.' The cheapest method of supplying medication worldwide is the service provided by pharmacists through pharmacies.

6- It should not be forgotten that medication is only truly medication when it is provided through pharmacies and by pharmacists. Attempting to implement technical austerity measures that are contrary to treatment protocols and practical applications, and far from a health-based perspective, will cause—and is causing—much higher treatment costs.

7- We demand a per-prescription duty fee from the Social Security Institution. We exert superhuman effort and extra overtime during night and holiday shifts, and we are struggling to provide service due to our increasing operating expenses. We demand that a reasonable duty fee be paid per prescription during duty shifts.

8- As 30 thousand pharmacies across Turkey, although we have no legal obligation, we collect 'examination fees' free of charge at 30 thousand points, day and night. With this service, we have taken the burden of the SSI opening 30 thousand cash desks off the public. We are pharmacists; even though some practices of the Social Security Institution make it difficult, we have served, are serving, and want to continue serving our people by making every sacrifice. However, we also want the institution not to ignore the problems and for our requests to no longer be disregarded."

News Source: 12punto