A Maltese doctor has warned patients are being harmed by the current state of play whereby only pharmacy, the one at the Malta International Airport, is allowed to open on Sunday afternoons and public holidays.

“I tend to work most weekends, particularly Sunday, and not having pharmacies open in the afternoon is a big issue,” the doctor told Lovin Malta on condition of anonymity.

“The only place available is at MIA and I often have to tell people to drive all the way to the airport to pick up the medicine I prescribe them. Some of them don’t have a car and when they do get there, they find themselves stuck in a two-hour queue. They could wait all that time and when they get to the counter, find out that what they are in need of is out of stock,” she said.

“Can you imagine waiting hours for a doctor on a Sunday afternoon and then being told that you need to go to the airport and wait in another queue to buy your medicine? People look at me like I’m crazy, it’s a complete disaster.”

“It gets worse in summer when there’s an influx of foreigners on the island and they have no idea how they’re going to get to the airport.”

“You have to remember that people who are queuing in pharmacies could be anyone from mothers getting milk for their kids to people buying cosmetics, that’s’ why you end up with these two-hour long queues.”

“I’m looking at this from a patient’s perspective, especially families with children. A baby with a high fever needs to start medication on the day before being admitted to hospital.”

When asked about whether there are cases when this could be life-threatening, the doctor responded:

“In certain instances, it can be. But even in circumstances like a toothache, you wouldn’t want to wait until Monday morning, you’d want to get medication straight away.”

“The laws haven’t kept up with the pace of life, it was ok ten years ago but it’s unacceptable with the population we have today. I think pharmacies should be allowed to open like anything else. If you don’t want to work, no one is obliging you to open…but you can’t be a dog in the manger.”

The law states that pharmacies must be open from at least 9 am to noon on Sundays and public holidays in accordance with a roster issued by the Superintendent of Public Health among pharmacies in every town.

The pharmacy at Malta International Airport (MIA) is the only exception to this rule due to its original positioning inside the airport where it is meant to cater to people traveling only.

What do you make of pharmacies not opening after noon on Sundays and public holidays? Let us know in the comments below