WILLEMSTAD – Pharmacies across Curaçao are operating under a restricted service schedule today, Wednesday, November 4, as the Curaçao Pharmacists Association (VAE) protests the government's failure to adjust prescription dispensing fees for the past 25 years.
The association says the fees paid to pharmacies for processing and dispensing prescriptions have remained unchanged for a quarter of a century, despite rising inflation and increasing operating costs.
According to the VAE, repeated requests for discussions with the government have gone unanswered for more than 25 years, leaving pharmacists increasingly concerned about the financial sustainability of pharmaceutical services on the island.
As part of the protest, regular pharmacy services have been suspended at most locations, with only two pharmacies remaining open to provide medication for urgent medical needs.
Only Two Pharmacies Open for Emergency Medication
To ensure that patients requiring urgent medication can continue receiving essential pharmaceutical care, the association has arranged for Botica Zuikertuintje and Botica Rio Canario to remain open today.
Patients who urgently need prescription medication are being directed to these two locations.
The restricted service schedule means that residents who normally collect their prescriptions at other pharmacies may experience disruptions.
The VAE has emphasized the importance of maintaining access to emergency pharmaceutical care while drawing attention to the longstanding dispute over prescription dispensing fees.
Prescription Fees Unchanged for 25 Years
At the center of the dispute is the prescription dispensing fee, known in Dutch as the receptregelvergoeding.
This fee compensates pharmacies for the professional and administrative services involved in dispensing prescription medication.
According to the pharmacists' association, the reimbursement has not been adjusted to reflect inflation or rising business expenses for 25 years.
During that period, pharmacies have faced increasing costs associated with personnel, facilities, utilities, and daily operations.
The VAE argues that maintaining the same reimbursement level for such an extended period places growing financial pressure on pharmacies and makes it increasingly difficult to sustain their services.
The association also accuses the government of failing to respond adequately to repeated requests for dialogue.
According to the VAE, pharmacists have sought discussions with the authorities for more than two decades without achieving a structural solution.
Pharmacists Demand Immediate Government Talks
Through today's action, the pharmacists' association is calling on the government to begin negotiations immediately.
The VAE wants a structural solution that addresses the longstanding reimbursement issue and takes into account the financial realities facing pharmacies.
The association has indicated that normal pharmacy services will resume once a structural solution has been reached.
The protest places additional pressure on the government at a time when healthcare professionals in Curaçao are increasingly raising concerns about reimbursement arrangements and the rising costs of providing medical services.
For patients, the immediate impact is a reduction in access to regular pharmacy services, although emergency medication remains available at the two designated locations.
The VAE has not announced a specific timetable for ending the action.
Until regular services resume, residents requiring urgent medication can visit Botica Zuikertuintje or Botica Rio Canario.
The association maintains that government intervention is necessary to resolve a dispute it says has remained unaddressed for 25 years and to safeguard the long-term sustainability of pharmaceutical care in Curaçao.