Medical Stores owners have demanded the resignation of Pharmacy and Medicine Regulatory Authority (PMRA) board saying the board is failing to create a favourable playground for medical store businesses.
The grouping said this during a press briefing which Medical Stores owners conducted on Wednesday in Lilongwe.
Speaking with reporters, representative of the grouping, Prescott Choso, said they are facing a lot of challenges including harassment and threats as well as lack of communication on what medicine they are supposed to be selling.
Choso added that they have heard that government is planning to end the business of Medical Stores and they believe this is why different rules are being introduced.
“We are paying a lot of money in the name of tax. For this year alone, they have increased our fees from 60 thousand to 90 thousand Kwacha.
“When it comes to doing our business, the inspectors who come to our shops for inspection tell us to do a lot of things without proper communication like a press statement from the authority and they have never called for a meeting with us the medical stores owners which is very worrisome,” he explained.
He went on to say that they are being forced by the board to employ a pharmacist and pay the worker a lot of money without giving them a chance or a say on the issue.
“Although we have come here to do this press briefing, our businesses are at risk, we are being threatened to never say a word because if we do so that’s the end of it”, he said.
He then said that they are giving the board 14 days to respond to their concerns.
Speaking in an interview, PMRA board Public Relations Officer Joseph Josiah said that the authority has taken note of the concern and will ensure mechanisms are in place to address them.
He, however, denied claims that the board has increased fees saying as a regulatory authority their regulatory fees are governed by applicable laws.
On the issue of threatening to close their stores, Josiah said it only happens when a person is operating a business without a license. He, however, did not comment on the issue of harassment.
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