HIBAPRESS – Ahmed Al-Musaid
The Pharmacists' Union of the city of Oujda and the surrounding areas organized a protest this morning, Tuesday, April 8th, in front of their union headquarters, to express their complete rejection of what they described as "injustice and oppression" affecting professionals as a result of "arbitrary" policies and the neglect of their demands that date back years.
In a statement to the HIBAPRESS website, Khaled Ayad, President of the Pharmacists' Union of Oujda and the surrounding areas, confirmed that this protest reflects the anger of all pharmacists in Morocco, warning against the marginalization of this vital sector by the relevant ministry. Ayad added: "Since the 2023 national strike, no demand has been met. Instead of responding to us, we were shocked by arbitrary decisions, such as freeing up the capital of pharmacies for non-professionals (the 'moneybags') to transform them into 'supermarkets,' and this is a direct danger to the citizen; we are professionals responsible for medication, and we are not just traders."
Ayad also pointed to the issue of price reductions, saying: "Focusing on reducing the price of cheap drugs (less than 100 dirhams) will inevitably lead to their discontinuation from the market because the manufacturer will not be able to keep up with the cost, and the first person affected is the citizen who will not find their medicine."
For his part, Zein Al-Abidine Al-Hindouf, the General Secretary of the Union, explained that the protest is the result of "a set of resentments," emphasizing the complete rejection of the recommendations of the Competition Council. He stated: "Our demands file has been languishing in the corridors of the ministry for years without any point coming to fruition. We refuse to open the capital of the pharmacy to any party other than the pharmacist, because the pharmacist is the only one who understands the patient's interest, and capital cannot be allowed to control the quality of service and products towards the citizen."
Based on the official document of the protesters, the pharmacists demanded 18 fundamental points included in their lists, at the forefront of which are protection of the monopoly: making nutritional supplements and medical supplies exclusively within pharmacies; legislative reforms: activating the "right of substitution," amending the 1922 law for toxic substances, and approving the "limited number" (Numerus Clausus); material rights: compensation for "pharmaceutical action" (guarding, vaccination, consultation), and rejecting price reductions without fair compensation for the pharmacist; digitalization: accelerating the digitalization of treatment papers and keeping up with the "third payer" system.
The protesters concluded their protest by emphasizing that today's pharmacist "is not alone," and that the world is watching their sacrifices.
The union addressed a strongly worded message to the supervising ministry, stating that the failure to immediately respond to the demands will open the door to more escalating protest steps, including comprehensive strikes, to protect the dignity of the pharmacist and ensure the pharmaceutical security of Moroccans.
