Physiotherapists, nurses, doctors, dentists, midwives, speech therapists and pharmacists took to the streets in Paris on Tuesday despite soaring temperatures to protest against the “blockade” on the revaluation of their fees, in the face of tightening health insurance budgets.
The demonstration was part of a national unlimited strike by healthcare professionals in protest at a pay freeze and cost-cutting measures to balance the health insurance books.
It covers medics ‘libéraux‘ – that is, people who work in the community rather than in hospitals.
Initiated by 13 trade unions united under the #SoignantsTrahis (Caregivers betrayed) banner, this interprofessional protest movement is in response to the government’s austerity plan which includes a delay to fee increases.
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Independent healthcare workers, meanwhile, pointed out that the measures were being taken in response to an economic situation for which they are not responsible.
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“A responsible health policy cannot be based in the long-term on intentions that are not followed up with action,” the National Council of Physiotherapists said, as it noted, “a growing number of physiotherapists leaving the profession to work abroad, primarily in Switzerland and Quebec.”
Another source of anger among pharmacy unions is the government’s plan to lower the ceiling on commercial discounts on generic drugs offered to pharmacies by manufacturers – currently capped at 40 percent, but which would drop to between 25 percent and 20 percent.
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These discounts are part of pharmacists’ remuneration, representing “a third of our margin,” according to Guillaume Racle, of the Union de syndicats de pharmaciens d’officine, estimating the loss of income at €600million if discounts are capped at 20 percent – the equivalent, he told AFP, of “€30,000 per pharmacy”.
The average cost of treatments assessed as providing no additional clinical benefit over existing treatments “has been rising since 2021, when it had been falling in the past,” acknowledges the French health insurance system in its annual report on healthcare costs and savings.
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The price drop resulting from the discounts will have an impact on jobs in pharmacies and risks exacerbating drug shortages, warn pharmacists’ unions.
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At present the ‘grève‘ is limited to more symbolic actions such as protests rather than the closure of surgeries or pharmacies, but further action may be on the cards.
The Fédération des pharmaciens d’officine has called for an “on-call strike” – and have also threatened to stop applying the tiers payant third-party payment system, in which part of the cost of prescription drugs is covered by the State upon presentation of a carte vitale.
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It would mean that patients would have to pay the full price of any medication, and send in paper forms claiming their reimbursement.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
