The Ministry of Health has been thrown under the bus and is now being blamed for the delay in processing licenses for pharmacies.
During a media conference this morning, Pharmacy Board President, Andrew Rahaman said the Ministry of Health is the one at fault as it is not recognizing its Secretary/Registrar, Suann Joseph.
Rahaman claims the Ministry is taking issue with her holding the position despite her no longer being a member, however, he said the Pharmacy Board Act allows her to remain in the role until a substantive replacement is found.
He said if the licenses are to be dispersed, the Ministry of Health needs to recognize the sitting Secretary/Registrar and they will submit all the necessary documents to get the process started.
Rahman also added that the Minister of Health needs to approve an increase in the board’s fees to allow him to dedicate himself as a full-time president to complete all the licenses quickly.
As of Saturday, January 14th, 2023, a number of pharmacies are no longer licensed to operate.
However, the Ministry of Health said it will attempt to make legal provisions for them to operate without the permits.
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