Issued by: National Department of Health
09 March 2006
The proposed draft regulations include a definition for dispensing: -
- the legality of such sale;
- the evaluation of a written prescription if any ;
- the appropriate dosage of that medicine for that user;
- safety issues for that user regarding the use of that medicine;
- the pharmaceutical and pharmacological incompatibilities of that medicine with any other medicines being taken by the user;
- possible allergies of the user to that medicine;
- possible medicine interactions;
- the optimal use and duration of use of that medicine with regard to a particular health condition of that user; and
he preparation of a particular medicine for an identifiable user including the reconstitution of a medicine in a non-sterile environment, picking, packaging and labeling of the medicine, checking of expiry dates of the medicine, and keeping of appropriate dispensing records as required by law; and
the handing of a particular medicine to an identifiable user or such user’s caregiver with advice or instructions as to its safe and effective use or administration, or the provision of a patient information leaflet or other written material on the safety or efficacy of the medicine; but excludes the manufacturing, manipulation or compounding of a medicine;”
Secondly the inclusion of the term “dispensing fee” which is the maximum fee, inclusive of VAT, that may be charged to dispense a medicine.
Thirdly to achieve transparency the following is proposed.
The manufacturer or importer, as the case may be, must ensure that the single exit price is clearly and legibly reflected on the packaging in which medicines are sold to providers of logistical services and retailers;
Retailers must ensure that the single exit price is clearly and legibly reflected on the packaging in which the medicine is sold to a user;
Retailers must ensure that at the time of the sale of a medicine to a user, the user is supplied with an invoice that reflects separately the single exit price of the medicine and, if the medicine was dispensed, the dispensing fee.
Finally the dispensing fee (VAT inclusive) to be levied by pharmacists should be calculated as follows:
Where the single exit price of a medicine is less than seventy five rands, the dispensing fee, is a total of seven rands plus 28% of the single exit price of the medicine eg SEP is R50.00 then the dispensing fee is R21.00 so the total price is R71.00
Where the single exit price of a medicine is seventy five rands or more but less than one hundred and fifty rands, the dispensing fee is a total of twenty three rands plus 7% of the single exit price of the medicine eg SEP is R100.00 then the dispensing fee is R30.00 so the total price is R130.00
Where the single exit price of a medicine is one hundred and fifty rands or more but less than two hundred and fifty rands, the dispensing fee is a total of twenty six rands plus 5% of the single exit price of the medicine eg SEP is R200.00 then the dispensing fee is R36.00 so the total price is R236.00
Where the single exit price of a medicine is two hundred and fifty rands or more, the dispensing fee is a total of thirty one rands plus 3% of the single exit price of the medicine. eg SEP is R300.00 then the dispensing fee is R40.00 so the total price is R240.00