WILLEMSTAD – Minister of Health, Environment and Nature Tyron Boekhoudt has reaffirmed that pharmacy owners in Curaçao will not receive an adjustment to their prescription reimbursement rates without an independent financial investigation conducted by the Regulatory Authority of Curaçao (RAC).
The minister's position follows a formal clarification from RAC confirming that a proposed investigation into pharmacy operating costs and prescription fees has not started because the Association of Pharmacy Owners (VAE) has not supplied the necessary financial documentation.
Boekhoudt maintains that public healthcare funds cannot be used to increase reimbursement rates without reliable evidence demonstrating that such adjustments are justified.
The minister emphasized that the same principle applies to all healthcare providers seeking changes to their tariffs or budgets.
Public Funds Require Financial Accountability
According to Boekhoudt, decisions involving healthcare reimbursement must be supported by independent research based on verifiable financial figures.
The government wants RAC to determine whether the current amount paid to pharmacies for processing prescriptions accurately reflects their operating costs.
Such an assessment would require information about the financial performance of pharmacy businesses, including annual accounts, staffing expenses, production volumes, and revenue sources.
The regulator would then be able to evaluate the cost structure and efficiency of pharmacy operations before determining what constitutes a reasonable reimbursement.
However, the government says the process cannot move forward because the necessary information has not been provided.
The minister argues that adjusting reimbursement rates without this analysis would be inconsistent with the government's responsibility to ensure that public healthcare resources are spent responsibly.
Disagreement Over Pharmacy Financial Information
The underlying dispute concerns the financial information pharmacy owners are expected to disclose.
RAC requested annual financial statements and other operational information in April 2024 as part of its proposed investigation.
However, according to the regulator, VAE later objected to submitting annual accounts and to including revenue from drugstore activities in the study.
The Ministry of Health maintained that these figures were necessary to establish a complete and reliable understanding of pharmacy finances.
The disagreement has prevented RAC from conducting the investigation that could provide a basis for reviewing prescription reimbursement rates.
Boekhoudt's position means that pharmacy owners seeking higher compensation must first cooperate with the independent financial assessment.
Minister Says Investigation Can Begin Once Data Is Submitted
Despite the dispute, Boekhoudt indicated that the government is not ruling out a review of pharmacy reimbursement rates.
Instead, the minister says the process depends on the pharmacy owners providing the requested information.
"As soon as the pharmacies submit the financial data and other information requested by RAC, the investigation can begin," Boekhoudt said.
The statement makes clear that the government considers the investigation a necessary first step toward any potential adjustment.
It does not establish whether existing pharmacy reimbursement rates are too high, too low, or appropriate. That determination would depend on the findings of the proposed study.
Healthcare Financing Disputes Continue
The minister's position comes during a period of increasing disagreement between healthcare providers and the government over reimbursement arrangements.
General practitioners have demanded an increase in SVB payments, while physiotherapists have also raised concerns about tariffs that they say have remained unchanged for decades.
Pharmacy owners have similarly expressed dissatisfaction with their compensation arrangements.
The government, however, continues to emphasize the importance of independent financial assessments before approving adjustments that would affect public healthcare spending.
In the case of pharmacies, the immediate obstacle remains the absence of financial documentation required by RAC.
Boekhoudt has made clear that the government is prepared to proceed with the investigation once the requested information becomes available.
Until then, the review of prescription reimbursement rates remains stalled, leaving the underlying financial disagreement between pharmacy owners and the government unresolved.