DISCHEM: WHY DO I HAVE TO SOURCE MY OWN MEDS??!!

Dear Dis-Chem, I’ve been collecting and buying my prescribed, OTC meds and all of my beauty and personal care products from your Centurion, Cresta, but mostly your Ferndale-on-Republic (FOR) branches for more than 14 years.

I need scripted chronic medication monthly. When I run out of meds, my brain does not function properly, I don’t think clearly, I’m anxious and overwhelmed by tasks that are usually easy when I take my scripted meds. My condition, untreated, can also lead to seizures. I collect and pay for my medicines from your Dis-Chem Dispensary every month.

Your pharmaceutical service has failed me terribly recently. Some Dis-Chem staff members, Group Older, are running themselves ragged trying their best to provide a good service to patients: you see them zipping to and fro at speed when you wait in line. I also see staff members, Group Reckless, who make promises they don’t keep and who lie to your face about the availability of meds. I’ve been advised this is done by Dis-Chem in order to sell the more expensive versions of the meds. Group Reckless use standard response lines like “it’s out of stock” instead of following their DUTY OF CARE and serving customers to the best of their abilities. Then I also see new young staff members, Group Willing, (usually younger ladies) who go out of their way to help customers, only to be vetoed by Group Reckless - the set of staff members who do not care about the needs of patients/ customers. In case you have forgotten what business you as a Pharmacy are in, I looked it up for you: “The South African Pharmacy Council enforces the Rules Relating to Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP). • “Duty of Care: The South African Pharmacy Council enforces the Rules Relating to Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP). Under these rules, pharmacists must exercise professional judgment. If a necessary medication is unavailable, their responsibility includes assisting the patient in finding alternative solutions, such as sourcing from nearby pharmacies, contacting the prescribing doctor to find an alternative therapy, or placing an emergency order with their suppliers. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]” I was told my brand of medicine, which was previously available for two months, was “out of stock” across Gauteng. Dischem gave me the illusion of the choice of going without any medicine or buying another more expensive brand that was in stock. That is all they did. An illusion. Do you understand that this choice is playing with how my brain functions?? Do you comprehend the diverse neurological effects medicines can have on an individual’s brain?? These are medicines, not mints. One pill is not the same as another. Buying the non-generic brand of medicine, also meant paying three times more than I would have for the scripted generic. So Dischem made more profit. PROFIT ABOVE HEALTH. I suffered ill effects from this non-prescribed version of the medication for a week. I trusted the Group Reckless pharmacist for another week when he said it was “out of stock” again. This other medication was having noticeable severe unhealthy effects on me, so I contacted the supplier of the prescribed generic brand to find out if they have stopped producing that particular brand since it’s been out of stock.

DISCHEM PHARMACY and DISPENSARY: WHY DO I HAVE TO GO AND LOOK FOR MY OWN MEDICATION AS A PATIENT??!! Not only did they have stock, they contacted their distribution centre and arranged for the medication to be distributed to the Ferndale-on-Republic branch. They sent me a message every step of the way, including one when it arrived at Dischem FOR’s dispensary. I waited two days before I called in to refill my script to give Dischem some space to get it unpacked. I was told by Group Reckless it’s “out of stock” again. I informed Vuyani to ask for “Mr J” / “Ms A”, because they were referred to by name in the confirmation message from the manufacturer that the stock had been delivered to FOR. Vuyani checked and rep**** it had not been unpacked yet. So I asked if I can collect it late in the afternoon. He said that I could collect it the next morning, they’ll have it pre-packed then I could just collect. Collections take an hour – why do I have to wait another day?? He ****. Nothing was packed when I came the next morning to pick up. A young lady from Group Willing assisted me. Incidentally, another of my meds was out of stock, BUT she referred me to two branches where it was in stock. She even got me their phone number. She followed the South African Pharmacy Council’s GPP. She cared about my HEALTH, not ABOUT PROFIT. Furthermore: “…Under South African law, a pharmacist is not legally required to keep every single medication in stock at all times. However, they are legally responsible for the procurement, storage, and management of a sufficient medicine inventory to meet the standard needs of their patient community. The specific legal and professional responsibilities are outlined as follows: • Procurement Responsibility: The Responsible Pharmacist (the person designated to ensure compliance with the law) must have policies in place to procure and manage the availability of essential medicines. They are obligated to order medicines reasonably requested by an authorized prescriber or patient. [1, 2, 3] ” o “Managing Stockouts: Pharmacists operate within a complex pharmaceutical supply chain. When a medication is out of stock due to manufacturer shortages or distribution issues, the pharmacist is not held legally liable for the stockout, provided they fulfill their duty of care.

Let me tell you what Dischem, as a Pharmacy, do according to AI: “AI Overview Pharmacy is the health science… As medication experts, pharmacists do much more than simply hand out pills. Their core responsibilities include: 1. Dispensing: Preparing and distributing prescription medications accurately. 2. Clinical Checks: Reviewing prescriptions to prevent dangerous drug interactions or incorrect dosages. 3. Patient Counselling: Explaining how to take medication, potential side effects, and what to avoid. 4. Health Services: Many pharmacies offer health screenings, chronic disease management, and administer vaccinations (like the flu shot)” “…Under South African law, a pharmacist is not legally required to keep every single medication in stock at all times. However, they are legally responsible for the procurement, storage, and management of a sufficient medicine inventory to meet the standard needs of their patient community. [1] The specific legal and professional responsibilities are outlined as follows: • Procurement Responsibility: The Responsible Pharmacist (the person designated to ensure compliance with the law) must have policies in place to procure and manage the availability of essential medicines. They are obligated to order medicines reasonably requested by an authorized prescriber or patient. [1, 2, 3] “ o “Managing Stockouts: Pharmacists operate within a complex pharmaceutical supply chain. When a medication is out of stock due to manufacturer shortages or distribution issues, the pharmacist is not held legally liable for the stockout, provided they fulfill their duty of care. [1, 2] • Duty of Care: The South African Pharmacy Council enforces the Rules Relating to Good Pharmacy Practice (GPP). Under these rules, pharmacists must exercise professional judgment. If a necessary medication is unavailable, their responsibility includes assisting the patient in finding alternative solutions, such as sourcing from nearby pharmacies, contacting the prescribing doctor to find an alternative therapy, or placing an emergency order with their suppliers. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] The primary obligation is to manage inventory efficiently, safeguard product quality, and ensure that when medicines are in the dispensary, they are handled, stored, and dispensed safely. [1, 2]” I would also urge you to fami****ize yourself with the Scope of practice of a pharmacist According to https://pharmcouncil.co.za/Pharmacists_Scope Regulation 4: Scope of practice of a pharmacist