More than 50,000 people collect chronic medication at post offices

More than 50,000 people collect their chronic medication from SA Post Office (Sapo) outlets nine years after the health department partnered with the entity for a chronic medicine dispensing and distribution project.

In 2014, the department of health started the central chronic medicines dispensing and distribution (CCMDD) programme which allows people to collect their government supplied chronic medication at different places, including private pharmacies and post offices. This was an initiative aimed at easing overcrowding in government clinics.

Health department spokesperson Foster Mohale told TimesLIVE since the start of the programme, 52,948 people have registered to receive their medication at post offices.

“Out of 2,800 post offices, the department has contracted 261 servicing about 52,948 patients,” he said.

Last year, TimesLIVE reported some pharmacists had raised concerns that Sapo did not have storage designed to keep medication and employees were not professionally trained like pharmacists to handle medication.

Mohale said the department has not experienced problems with medication storage at post offices since the start of the project.

Sapo said branches were inspected by the health department to ensure they comply with requirements.

The contract for the programme between the health department and Sapo ended last month, but Sapo spokesperson Johan Kruger confirmed to TimesLIVE it has been extended for another year.

Both the department and Sapo said the cost of the contract was confidential.

“Sapo receives payment from the department of health for the collection of medication at its branches. It does not receive any subsidy from government for this service.”

Kruger said staff at branches dealing with the service were “thoroughly” trained before the service was introduced. The entity did not employ more staff when the programme was introduced as an additional service.

“Existing employees were designated to man the collection counters,” Kruger said.

He said the programme has been going well.

“Each post office has a dedicated counter where medication is collected from its teller.  This means patients do not have to queue unnecessarily on busy days, such days on which the South African Social Security Agency grants are paid.”

“Sapo hopes to always offer this service,” Kruger said.

Medication such as insulin was not offered for collection at branches, he said.

“Post offices do not offer collection facilities for medication that requires specialised storage such as refrigeration.”