Morocco’s Competition Council has called for a new economic model for community pharmacies, recommending the introduction of dispensing fees and expanded professional roles to address structural imbalances in the sector.
Ahmed Rahou, president of the council, said the current system ties pharmacy revenues directly to medicine prices, leaving pharmacists vulnerable to repeated price reductions and narrow profit margins.
“The existing model has structural limitations,” Rahou said, according to council statements, arguing that pharmacies remain financially dependent on drug pricing decisions beyond their control.
The council proposed introducing flat dispensing fees and other compensation mechanisms to decouple part of pharmacy income from medicine prices. It also recommended diversifying revenue streams by expanding pharmacists’ responsibilities to include chronic disease monitoring and participation in vaccination campaigns.
Health policy researcher Tayeb Hamdi said Morocco’s pricing framework directly links pharmacy profits to the cost of medicines, meaning government-mandated price cuts immediately affect pharmacists’ earnings.
“Several countries use alternative methods to encourage and reward pharmacists, including stable profit margins or dispensing fees,” Hamdi said. “Pharmacists are advisers in the healthcare system, not simply drug sellers.”
Hamdi added that medicines account for more than 30% of Morocco’s total healthcare spending, despite drug consumption levels being lower than in comparable countries.
Ali Lotfi, head of the Moroccan Network for the Defense of Health and Life, said medicine prices in Morocco can be significantly higher than in countries with similar economic profiles, including Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan.
“Pharmacists have long called for income diversification through additional services rather than relying solely on drug sales,” Lotfi said.
The council’s recommendations come amid rising tensions with pharmacists’ unions. Major unions said they were excluded from consultations on the sector review and accused the council of undermining democratic principles and the public interest.
Union representatives pledged to pursue legal and protest actions, including a potential nationwide strike, to oppose any measures they believe would favor commercial interests or restrict competition in community pharmacies.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.