Clause on distance not respected
The liberalization of the process of licensing of Pharmacies has gone beyond the expectations / prospects of the Order of Pharmacists (Urdhri i Farmacist췥 t롓hqip쳩s묠UFSH). Arian Jaupllari, President of the Order of Pharmacists, and Telegraf (5.08.2009) state that while the procedures have been simplified and the licensing authority has been changed in the process of authorization, there has been neglect in observing the clause of distance among the pharmacies.
From the Directories of the Public Health (Drejtori e Sh쯤etit Publik, DSHP) of the Ministry of Health (Ministria e Sh쯤etsis묠MSH), the licensing authority has been transferred to the National Licensing Center (Qendra Komb쵡re e Li覮simit, QKL), an all-business licensing authority. On one hand, a shift has been made from health institutions to a business administrative unity. On the other hand, the shift is from numerous, low-hierarchy, local and disparate authorities, to a single national all-business licensing body.
Before the change took place, UFSH is reported to have supported the creation of a single national licensing authority dependent on the Ministry of Health.
The burden of licensing procedures has also been alleviated with the introduction of the self-declaration. The procedures are reported to be faster. They do not require any more meetings or decisions of adequate commissions.
But while the Order of Pharmacists (Urdhri i Farmacist췥 t롓hqip쳩s묠UFSH) is satisfied with the rapidity and alleviation of the burden of procedures, the UFSH is dissatisfied with the neglect shown on the respect of distances between pharmacies, which is theoretically one of the conditions of obtaining a license. But with the recent liberalization of the licensing of pharmaceutical subjects and the transfer of authority to the QKL, either legal reference to the law which foresees the observation of a distance between pharmacies has fallen, or the new licensing authority has not been attentive to this criterion.
Over the last weeks, the rhythm of creation of new pharmacies has been very intensive. Pharmacies represent almost half of all licensed enterprises. Telegraf informs that out of the 108 subjects licensed by the National Licensing Center (Qendra Komb쵡re e Li覮simit, QKL) since its creation, 61 have been pharmaceutical subjects.
BOX
Law n. 9323 of 25.11.2004, article 2 (quoted by Telegraf): “Pharmacies are opened in urban zones, at a distance of 100 – 150 meters, depending on the density of the population, one for each 3000 inhabitants.”
