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Rabat – Four Moroccan pharmacist unions and worker groups have announced a national strike for 24 hours on April 13, in response to financial issues and government inaction.
The strike announcement was made collectively by the National Federation of Moroccan Pharmacist Associations, the National Confederation of Moroccan Pharmacist Associations, the National Union for Moroccan Pharmacists, and the National Association of Moroccan Pharmacists.
The statement announcing the strike said the escalatory measure was in response to “the fragile economic situation that has left thousands of pharmacies threatened with bankruptcy in Morocco.”
The associations also cited inaction from different government branches as motivators for the strike, accusing them of failing to keep the pharmacy sector stable and sustainable, thus harming the nation’s medical security.
The statement specifically cited a refusal from government agencies to hold talks with pharmacists or implement reforms needed in the sector, as well as “not acknowledging pharmacists as an essential indispensable partner in improving the health system.”
“This is in addition to what was recently announced of the government’s intentions to issue an amendment to the ministerial decree limiting medicine prices without any consultation with pharmacist representatives,” the release added.
It also mentioned that a series of reports and statements from official institutions are aiming to “destabilize the pharmacy sector, push it towards bankruptcy, and defame the image of the pharmacist in their communities.”
The statement could be referring to a recent report by Morocco’s Court of Audits which said that overpriced medications have helped pharmacies achieve outrageous profit margins of 57%.
Pharmacists denied the claims, saying that they do not reflect the realities observed in Morocco’s pharmaceutical sector.
Should the demands of the unions not be met by the government, they plan to announce an additional strike that would last two consecutive days, the statement adds.
