The Pharmacists' crisis has escalated yesterday with their strike continuing for the second day in compliance with the resolution of their emergency general assembly, and coinciding with Pharmacist Day. They are protesting against the Tax Department canceling the agreement it had signed with them. Their union said that 95% of the pharmacies have complied, and that the rest would be interrogated. Meanwhile, sales managers of pharmaceutical companies said sales fell by 70% due to the crisis.
Union Treasurer Dr. Abdallah Zein el-Abidin said the officials have started their efforts to resolve the crisis, noting that he received a call from Minister of Health Dr. Hatem el-Gabali, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Mufid Shehab and other officials of sovereign bodies, offering to mediate between the Tax Department and the pharmacists. “I told them the strike will continue until the demands are met,” he said. For his part, Ashraf el-Arabi, the head of the Tax Department, stressed his commitment to applying the income tax law without discrimination or exception, but indicated his willingness to negotiate with the pharmacists on the current crisis. The Ministry of Health said it has delivered all the requests for medicines through Hotline 105. In the same context, many fights broke between the pharmacists and the citizens over getting medicine.
