Despite the fact that the regional administration has fulfilled its obligations on time, the delay in the payment of the pharmaceutical invoice for the month of April in the province of Alicante is causing concern among pharmacies. The Official College of Pharmacists is attributing the delay to the intermediary bank, which is responsible for the payment of 45 million euros to be distributed among more than 800 establishments.
The Regional Ministry of Health made the payment “on time and in full,” as stipulated in the current agreement, which establishes the deadline as the last day of each month, as explained by the president of the physician association, Andrés García Mongars, this Friday. He stated that the administration cannot be held responsible for the payment, as it was made around midday on Thursday, April 29th, as was anticipated. This is in contrast to the situation that occurred last summer, when the May invoice was paid more than a month late due to liquidity issues.
Operational
García suggests that the issue is a banking operational issue that exclusively impacts the province of Alicante. “The same has not occurred in Valencia or Castellón, where pharmacies have received payments in a standard manner.” He clarified that the issue at hand is a malfunction in the internal operations of a banking institution, rather than the payment itself.
The circumstance impacts a total of 808 pharmacies and a sum between 40 and 50 million euros. Despite the apparent temporariness of this delay, it has a direct impact on the liquidity of these establishments. The president of the association cautioned that the change of month indicates that numerous pharmacies have payments due, and the absence of this money will result in imminent cash flow issues.
Perplexity
The professional association was perplexed by the events that transpired, particularly in light of the fact that other entities had successfully completed the transfers within the same timeframe. “It is logical to assume that all banks should be capable of doing so if a few are able to do so.” García maintained that operational complications could not justify provincial distinctions.
Additionally, the pharmaceutical president recalled that comparable circumstances had transpired in the past, albeit in distinct circumstances. “Delays have occurred in the past; however, they were later associated with payment delays from the Regional Ministry of Health.” He also noted that this is no longer the case, which further complicates the comprehension of the events that transpired.
Without achievement
The professional association made an unsuccessful attempt to contact the bank on May 1st, a public holiday, after identifying the issue. “We conversed previously on Thursday morning and were guaranteed that the funds would be delivered; however, we have not received any responses since,” they expressed their disappointment. In the afternoon, there were no additional interactions.
Currently, there is no specific date for the resolution of the issue; however, it is anticipated that the payment will be processed in the near future. In the interim, the professional association underscores the necessity of preventing the recurrence of such circumstances.
“We must strive to guarantee that all pharmacies receive equal compensation at the same time.” García concluded, “If there is no solution, we will have to consider alternative options, such as a change of entity.”