The Social Security Organization and the Iranian Pharmacists Association Held a Joint Meeting — But Left with Different Outcomes!
At least based on a review of channels related to pharmacy founders, pharmacists voiced sharp criticisms toward the other party.
Nevertheless, the official portal of the Social Security Organization released the following statement:
In a joint consultation meeting between the Social Security Organization and the Iranian Pharmacists Association—attended by Mostafa Salari, the CEO, along with several deputies and managers of the organization and members of the association’s board—it was agreed that one month of the outstanding payments owed to contracted pharmacies would be paid during the current week, and another month would be paid by the end of January.
It was also decided that, should the organization receive its claims from the government, all pharmaceutical debts up to the end of November would be fully settled.
Key Points from the Consultation Meeting
The meeting with the Social Security Organization and the Iranian Pharmacists Association focused on the following three main requests from the Association:
- Urgent update on pharmacy payments, which are currently delayed by 6 months, with a minimum of two months of arrears to be paid within the next 10 days.
- Revision of contracts between pharmacies and the organization, including the addition of late payment penalties in the contract texts, in accordance with Article 38 of the Law on Additions to the Government Financial Regulations.
- Reforming and organizing the payment system based on a defined schedule.
Mostafa Salari’s Response
Despite the approval of around 250 trillion IRR by the Economic Coordination Council of the Heads of Government Branches to pay pharmaceutical debts, this council emphasized that the sum must only be paid to the Ministry of Health for public institutions’ claims.
However, after receiving 100 trillion IRR in Gharz-al-Hasna bonds, the total remaining debt of the Ministry of Health to the Social Security Organization is less than 110 trillion IRR.
Should this resolution be amended to allow the disbursement of the 250 trillion IRR to other contractual parties, the Social Security Organization would immediately pay 80 trillion IRR to settle all debts owed to private-sector pharmacies through the end of November 2024.
The organization also plans to pay the July share of debts within the last days of this week, and the August share during the following week.
Pharmacists’ Perspective
The association’s board, while recognizing the effort, deemed the payments insufficient and urged the organization to fully settle all debts through the end of September. They also insisted that starting from February, the Social Security Organization must pay one month’s worth of previous debts regularly within the first week of each month.
The board declared that if the Social Security Organization fails to cooperate, pharmacy owners would be forced to collectively take the following actions, and that any economic or social consequences will fall solely on the officials at the Social Security Organization and the Ministry of Labor:
- Launching a nationwide campaign to stop purchasing from TPPH (TPICO) distribution companies.
- Starting provincial negotiations to initiate individual lawsuits against the insurer.
- Forming a nationwide campaign to suspend contracts with basic insurance providers.
The Inevitable Conflict
Managers at the Social Security Organization stated that due to the high volume of government debts owed to the organization, assigned duties (such as covering insurance shares of certain workshops), and the nature of the organization’s allocated budget (mostly participation bonds), it is practically impossible to quickly clear the six-month arrears owed to pharmacies.
Therefore, after hearing the pharmacists’ three proposed actions, the CEO said he had no objections to their decisions.
TPICO’s Position
Dr. Mohammad Naderi Alizadeh, CEO of TPICO, was present at the meeting and noted that the strategy of distribution and pharmaceutical companies owned by the Social Security Organization would be directly influenced by the actions of pharmacy founders.
An Open-Ended Conclusion
The Iranian Pharmacists Association expressed hope for effective action from the Social Security Organization but clearly stated that they can no longer persuade pharmacy owners to remain patient in the face of broken payment commitments.
Technocrats’ Viewpoint
Solving all these issues at once is a natural right for everyone, including pharmacists—but it may not be feasible under force majeure conditions.
The honorable CEO of the Social Security Organization could have delayed his response with more consideration.
In a country overwhelmed with various challenges, dividing resources between two public-serving institutions could have been avoided.
The public is watching, and words spoken in haste carry psychological consequences…
Therefore, for better outcomes, greater solidarity and collaboration is recommended.
