Latest Insights
Latest Insights and Industry Updates
Policy analysis, regulatory developments and informed perspectives from South Africa’s pharmaceutical logistics sector.
PLASA is the National Association and Unified voice representing South Africa’s & Sub-Saharan Africa’s Pharmaceutical and Healthcare logistics sector.
PLASA continues working to resolve a number of issues common to all pharmaceutical logistics service providers.
Some issues are longstanding and embedded in legislation. The flawed Single Exit Pricing system, used to inadequately reimburse distributors and wholesalers, is one example and has been, and still is the subject to negotiation with the Minister of Health and the Pricing Committee.
Other examples of issues on the table of discussion with the National Department of Health (NDoH) are inconsistent legislation (Board Notice 50) relating to the minimum standards for the procurement, storage and distribution of fridge lines,
Parralel importation of medicines, regional and continental pooled procurement initiatives, proliferation of fake, countefiet and subs-standard medicinces and issuing of licenses to “pseudo” wholesalers.
PLASA’s involvement, together with the NDoH, B4SA and the Essential Services Committee (ESC), in an application to be designated essential service providers.
The resultant ESC dervived order designated that all pharmaceutical wholesalers and distributors are required to provide essential services for the supply and distribution of critical life saving medicines as defined and hence these sevices are considered essential services and fall within the legal constraints in terms of labour related action, preventing disruptions of the services.
PLASA provides healthcare logistics providers the opportunity of sharing and responding to issues of mutual interest, with one unified voice, increasing effectiveness in outcomes.
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