Statement on false and malicious insinuations that the South African Pharmacy Council instructed registered pharmacy professionals to support the National Health Insurance.
16 October 2019
We have noted with concern contextless insinuations by some in society that the South African Pharmacy Council (SAPC) has instructed pharmacy professionals to pledge support for the National Health Insurance (NHI). Nothing could be further from the truth.
The missing context in the insinuations, which was clearly stated in the said email, is that the request for pledges of support for the NHI was made by the Honourable Minister of Health at the 3rd National Pharmacy Conference on Friday, 4 October in North West.
This request was not prescriptive and did not detail any consequences which will follow if the pledge is not signed.
Pharmacy professionals are aware that, as citizens of this country, they have a constitutional right to participate in the consultation processes of the NHI without undue influence from anyone, including ourselves as a statutory council.