The Delay of the FLA Hits Alicante Pharmacists as the Consell Defaults: "We Would Be Struggling Even If They Paid Us on Time"

Pharmacies in Alicante are facing a delicate situation after the Department of Health informed them that it will not be able to make the monthly payment for June. This payment constitutes a significant portion of the total revenue for pharmacies, covering the entire cost of the medicines financed by Health for users, known as the pharmaceutical co-payment. Considering that over 70% of the products sold by pharmacies are medicines, the financial gap caused by not receiving this amount is substantial.

The payment in question pertains to May, but since the invoice is due in 30 days, the amount is settled at the end of the following month. Practically, this means pharmacies face the end of each month with a debt extending to 60 days.

The situation is particularly challenging for establishments located in rural areas. "Even if they paid us on time, we would be struggling," explains Manuel Olivert, president of the Association of Rural Pharmacists of the Province of Alicante (AFARPA). Olivert is a pharmacist in the small town of Benimassot, and his pharmacy is one of about 15 in our province classified as VEC, meaning Economically Challenged Viability.

These pharmacies require greater economic support from the Generalitat, which was also subject to delays until recently. Each pharmacy must annually certify its VEC status during the first five months of the year, and it was not until this period ended that pharmacies received payment. The pharmaceutical colleges of Alicante and Valencia have recently managed to get the Generalitat to advance this payment for their professionals, though not in the province of Castellón, making this recent default particularly harsh for pharmacists in the north of the region.

Although the Generalitat has assured that the outstanding payment is guaranteed from July, the dependence on the regional payment is so significant that Olivert fears many pharmacies may not recover. It would mean reliving what happened in 2011 when the Generalitat could not make these payments for half a year, accumulating a debt of 550 million that would not be fully settled until early 2013. "Many went bankrupt, and those who survived fear going through the same ordeal again," says the president of AFARPA.

The timing of the default also coincides with the end of the quarter, when pharmacists must settle their obligations with the Treasury. In this regard, the group has asked the Administration to delay this payment until the Department pays them what is owed.

Regarding responsibility for the defaults, the Government and the Generalitat seem to be passing the buck. The Health Minister, Marciano Gómez, accuses the central government of not approving the Regional Liquidity Fund (FLA) for the first time in 12 years, which will prevent the arrival of 1.9 billion euros in July to the region. These funds are used by the Generalitat to pay public service providers, including pharmacies.

However, the Minister of Health, Mónica García, believes it should be the Valencian minister who explains "why he has defaulted on payments to pharmacies or why he plans to." The Health Minister states that the disbursement to the autonomous communities in the last eight years "has been 300 billion more than they had with the previous Government" and highlighted that the regions now have "broader financing; then it's up to each one what they do in their community with the money..."

Amidst this exchange of statements, Olivert is clear that it is a "political issue, because the money is there, but it does not arrive due to a lack of understanding between administrations." Regarding this financial dependence on the Administration, the president of AFARPA sends the following message: "We do not want to be seen as a subsidized service or one that requires aid to survive. We want to be paid to help the community, as beyond pharmaceutical products, we also act as health agents, collaborating in the detection of diseases or helping to combat phenomena such as unwanted loneliness."