SUNDAY December 10, at 18:30 on SABC
2:
In
Fokus:
She (never) asked for it.
Producer: John Bailey
Imagine if, for 16 days, there were no rape, no child abuse, no sexual harassment and no emotional abuse. The 16 Days of Activism campaign challenges South Africans to declare a truce on violence against women and children…and ultimately, to make it a permanent one.
Around the country, South Africans are being called on to combat violence against women and children. For the eighth year, SA is participating in the global 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women campaign, which runs from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) through to International Human Rights Day on December 10.
This week in Focus we talk to a married couple about the violence that they’ve experienced in their union. “Denise” tell us how she feared for her life as her husband “Chris” became increasingly angry and abusive. He stalked her, threatened her with a gun and tried to run her off a busy highway, in peak hour traffic. “Chris” says when his wife decided to re-enter the work place he became more and more insecure. Suddenly he wasn’t the breadwinner anymore and his wife earned a bigger salary.
We speak to Nicro (National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders) about their 20 week programme to break the vicious circle of family violence.
NICRO – 021 397 6060/021 – 422 1690
Also on Fokus this week: Pharmacies closing doors – (use attached JPEG)
A concerned pharmacist from Kempton Park, Gert Wepener, has been banging on government doors ever since the new dispensing fees were announced in October. The four-tier pricing structure is scheduled to come into effect from the first of January. But Wepener maintains that it will mean the end for many smaller and independently owned pharmacies.
According to an actuarial report by a leading accounting house pharmacists would be comfortable with a dispensing fee of R29.81. Government feels R16.30 is enough. Wepener means the shortfall spells trouble for the majority of pharmacies.
TIMELINE OF MEDICINE PRICE REGUALTIONS
Prepared by: The Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa
APRIL 2003
The State President signs the amendments to the Medicines and Related Substances Act, 101 of 1965 into law.
JANUARY 2004
16/01: Promulgation of Draft Regulations
APRIL 2004
16/04: Closing date for submissions and comments in response to the Draft Regulations
23/04: Prelude to the promulgation of the Final Regulations - The Minister of Health held a press briefing in Cape Town where she announced that the original “24/24” dispensing fee of the Draft Regulations would become “16%/R16 and 26%/R26 in the Final Regulations. This resulted in huge consternation amongst pharmacists.
30/04: Final Medicine Pricing Regulations promulgated
MAY 2004
28/05: Legal action against the Minister of Health and Pricing Committee aimed at overturning the dispensing fee as per the Final Regulations.
JUNE 2004
01/06: Applications for interim relief heard in Cape High Court
15/06: Pharmacists petition Parliament
17/06: Minister commented in Parliament
17/06 & 18/06: Cape High Court Hearing -- The pricing regulations case was heard by a Full Bench of Judges comprising of the Judge President John M. Hlope and two Judges, Deputy Judge President Jeanette Traverso and Justice James Yekiso.
Judgment reserved.
AUGUST 2004
27/8: Judgment delivered in Cape High Court -- In a dissenting judgment, the Cape High Court found in favour of the Minister of Health. Dispensing fee comes into immediate effect.
31/8: Pharmacists: Application for Leave to Appeal
SEPTEMBER 2004
20/09: Leave to Appeal Hearing
NOVEMBER 2004
PSSA legal team approached Supreme Court of Appeal to hear Medicine Pricing Regulations matter.
DECEMBER 2004
20/12: Pharmacists won appeal in the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein
22/12: State filed Notice of Appeal in Constitutional Court
24/12 Cape High Court rejected pharmacists’ appeal application
Following the Supreme Court of Appeal judgment on 20 December, the Cape High Court denied the Pharmaceutical Society and other Applicants leave to appeal to the original Cape High Court judgment.
FEBRUARY 2005
18/02: Department of Health filed for declaratory order to the Constitutional Court
MARCH 2005
15/03 & 16/03: Constitutional Court hearing
SEPTEMBER 2005
30/09: Constitutional Court Judgement -- One of the Court’s main findings is that the dispensing fee is inappropriate and that it has to be re-evaluated by the Pricing Committee
DECEMBER 2005
20/12: PSSA Submission to Pricing Committee
JANUARY 2006
27/01: Updated supplementary submission
MARCH 2006
09/03: DoH announced proposed dispensing fee
31/03: Publication of draft dispensing fee – Gazette GNR 449 in GG 28673
APRIL 2006
21/04: Dispensing regulations published – No R 382
OCTOBER 2006
31/10: Announcement of new dispensing fee for pharmacists, international benchmarking methodology and annual price increase on SEP
DECEMBER 2006
01/12: Publication of new price regulations (dispensing fee etc) – Gazette R1210
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