Greater transparency in the pricing of medicine and cheaper medicine – government had noble plans with the Medicines and Related Substances Act.

Yet consumers aren’t paying much less for medicine. 

All discounts and rebates in the medicines chain have been abolished.

But the single exit prices of medicines are still relatively high because many manufacturers pay exorbitant logistics fees to distributors and wholesalers. Medicine prices also have not been benchmarked against international prices.

Since pharmacists started charging patients a capped dispensing fee instead of a mark-up, patients have started to pay less for medicines.  However, pharmacists say the new regulations make it impossible for them to survive. Most pharmacists have started charging patients an administration fee.  This fee varies hugely – and few medical aids pay for it at this stage.

Government and the National Consumer Union say consumers should be aware of what they SHOULD pay – and should shop around.

Whether pharmacists are granted leave to appeal against the regulations or not, government says: if pharmacists can prove they can’t survive on the capped dispensing fees, government will reconsider.

Producer Karin d’Orville and cameraman Dudley Saunders investigate the side effects of the medicine pricing regulations.

South Africa’s rich cultural diversity will again be celebrated on Heritage Day (Friday Sept 24th).  But what is being done to preserve our heritage for future generations? 

The National Archives want to include more South Africans in its oral history project.

Marius Oosthuizen restores the SABC’s old records.