NCD stops action against govt

2009-01-13 19:00

Johannesburg - The National Convention on Dispensing (NCD) has put on hold its planned legal action against the health department, the department said on Tuesday.

Spokesperson Fidel Hadebe said Health Minister Barbara Hogan met doctors on Monday to resolve the concerns around dispensing fees.

"The meeting was very productive and resulted in a co-operative agreement on a way forward that will consider the serious concerns of dispensing doctors in South Africa.

" The minister is confident that given the outcome of the meeting, a satisfactory result to the dispute will be possible without adversarial litigation or having to seek redress from the courts," he said.

All steps were being taken to address the issue of the appropriate dispensing fees for all those entitled to dispense medicines.

Hadebe said the issues on availability, affordability and sustainability of supplies of medicines to people in the country, and especially the poor, was discussed.

"The minister is pleased that the NCD agreed that regulation of the dispensing fee is necessary."

Hadebe said that the report in the Business Report referring to an "agreement" to increase the dispensing fee to 30% was incorrect.

"The NCD and the department are still in discussions on an appropriate fee structure.

"Such discussions will take some time, and for this reason court action has been put on hold to resolve the matter internally," he said.

- SAPA