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‘Big Pharmacies Will Run Rampant’: Maltese Pharmacist Explains Why More Pharmacies On A Sunday Afternoon Is A Bad Idea

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A Maltese pharmacist has warned that allowing pharmacies to open on afternoons on Sundays and public holidays would have a negative impact on independent pharmacy owners. 

Speaking under the condition of anonymity, the pharmacist said that independent pharmacies would struggle to survive financially if regulations were to change to allow them to open past 12 pm on the given days.

“Pharmacists are a neglected profession and we are short-staffed as it is. Independent pharmacies will struggle financially if they allow big pharmacies to run rampant,” the pharmacist told Lovin Malta.

“Independent pharmacies are already in danger of closing down and big pharmacies have a lot to gain if they are allowed to open on a Sunday afternoon, even if they do operate at a loss.”

When asked about the situation in which people must travel to the airport to buy their medication, the pharmacist acknowledged that the current situation has its issues.

“The whole idea of having a pharmacy at the airport was to provide a neutral location where people can pick up their medicine. If there are current problems with big queues or out-of-stock medicine then certain conditions should be implemented to make sure that the patients are catered for.”

“A roster where two or three pharmacies need to be on duty that afternoon would help. That way, people from around the island will be catered for and it would provide some checks and balances to stop big pharmaceutical companies from running wild.”

“A lot of pharmacies chose to stay open on Sunday during the months of December and January (when they were legally allowed to) but, outside that framework, the situation has to be controlled.”

The threat of big pharmacies monopolising the market, combined with the lack of workforce, is a real threat for independent pharmacists who feel that their livelihood will be at stake if all pharmacies are allowed to open on Sunday afternoons and public holidays, which they believe would eventually force them out of their family business.

“I think that a lot of pharmacies would be willing to open if there were checks and balances to make sure that it was done properly,” the pharmacist ended.

In a poll published by Lovin Malta, 97% voted ‘Yes’ when asked if Maltese pharmacies should be allowed to open on Sunday afternoons and public holidays.

Do you think more pharmacies should be allowed to open on a Sunday afternoon? Let us know in the comments below

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When JP's not too busy working on polyrhythmic beats, you'll probably find him out and about walking his dog.

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