Leaders of the Egyptian Pharmacists Syndicate (EPS) expected tough future negotiations with the Tax Authority to end the tax crisis. They said pharmacists would therefore have to show the same unity and strength demonstrated during the strike. Speaking yesterday at a ceremony of the general syndicate for the 29th pharmacists' day under the auspices of President Mubarak, they stressed it was necessary to amend the law on exercising the profession, preserve the reputation of Egyptian medicines, and step up health inspections in pharmaceutical factories to preserve quality. They also praised the role played by Health Minister Hatem el-Gabaly and by the head of the Egyptian Medical Syndicate (EMS), Dr. Hamdy el-Sayed, during the recent crisis. The celebration was also joined by some pharmacists from other Arab countries, while it was not attended by EPS Chairman, Dr. Zakaruia Gad, due to his poor health conditions. EPS Secretary General, Dr. Mahmoud Abdel Maqsoud, thanked God for pharmacists' victory. He praised Health Minister Hatem el-Gabaly saying he had respected pharmacists, had helped find a solution, and had done the biggest efforts to let the political leadership hear their voices. He demanded that governmental pharmacists working at the Health Ministry be re-appointed according to the old system and not the current one, which he described as inflexible. He also said it was necessary to prevent pharmacists who carry out health inspections from owning a pharmacy. "One cannot do both things at the same time, as we think health inspections are sacred" he said. He also demanded that a ministerial decree be issued on the contract between the health insurance authority and pharmacies belonging to A and B categories. He questioned any discounted medicine, saying it could tarnish the reputation of Egyptian medicines as well as pharmaceutical and distribution companies. He also said it was necessary to dismiss any pharmacist who offered discounts on medicines, as this tarnished the reputation of the profession. "During the last crisis, they said we were profiteering from such discounts" he affirmed. Abdel Maqsoud called for stepping up inspections at pharmaceutical factories to guarantee that medicines were well manufactured, allocating one pharmacy – and not ten – to every hospital to serve patients inside the hospital, and closing all unlicensed hospitals. He criticized Misr for Pharmaceutical Industry for what it was doing to the Egyptian people (along with Egypt's Holding Company for Medicines, he affirmed) and for setting up pharmacies inside banks, governmental authorities and ministries, as he said this damaged the profession. He called on the pharmacy inspection department at the Ministry of Health to close all these pharmacies. He also praised the stance taken by Dr. Hamdy el-Sayed and the pharmacists of the People's Assembly and the Shoura Council, while he apologized, on behalf of pharmacists, to the Egyptian people for the strike. EPS Deputy Chairman, Dr. Mohamed Abdel Gauad, expected the future to be difficult. He called on pharmacists to stick to their strong stance and on the health minister to keep standing by their side. At the same time, he said that the law on exercising pharmacy must be amended this year. For his part, Health and Population Minister Hatem el-Gabaly congratulated the pharmacists on their day (pharmacists' day) and their stance - which he described as civilized and responsible - during the recent crisis. He pointed out that pharmacists were real soldiers seeking to relief patients' pains and guarantee that they get the safest and most effective medicines. He also said he had appointed an assistant for pharmaceutical affairs as he had promised last year.
