After 21:00 there are only a few pharmacies in the capital that are open to citizens in case of need. This is causing huge losses for pharmacies.
As for this decision regarding the custody schedule of pharmacies, the Chamber of Pharmacists stated that the decision taken for pharmacies is very fair.
Jehona Haka, the vice president of the Chamber of Pharmacists of Kosovo, told KosovaPress that this regulation was established in 2010, but it has not been active. Haka said that when the addition-change of the custodial hours for the pharmacies was made, there were about 84 complaints.
The establishment of this regulation has been welcomed by many pharmacies, while only six complaints from pharmacists have been addressed.
For those pharmacies that work outside of this rule, Hakaj emphasized that it is not collegial and that the labor inspectorate of the Municipality of Prishtina should give the deserved penalties and not just take measures.
Pharmacies are experiencing financial losses due to this regulation. Owners and pharmacists are complaining about this issue. Among them is Arbnor Alidema, the owner of a pharmacy in Pristina, for KossovaPress, he said that the big losses are continuing, while he said that it has become very difficult for patients to find the medicine they need and that they are forced to go to other places outside the capital to find the medicine they need.
The biggest problem, according to Alidema, is with the Municipality of Prishtina, as he considers that the latter should change the working hours for pharmacies.
Meanwhile, the director of the Inspection in the Municipality of Prishtina, Florian Dushi, said that the ongoing problem they are facing as an institution is the pharmacies that are not respecting the custody schedule.
He said that there are cases when many pharmacies work on holidays, as well as after the end of the established schedule, they continue to be open.
The Municipality of Ferizaj is also in the process of drawing up the schedule for pharmacies.
