General practitioner and specialist dispensing fee

Article by Dana Van Zyl,  Focus on Health Director based on GOVERNMENT GAZETTE No. 45649 & 45131

Dispensing fee for persons licensed to dispense in terms of Section 22C of the Medicines and Related Substances Act (Act 101 of 1965)

Dispensing fee as published on 17 December 2021

The appropriate dispensing fee as contemplated in Section 22G of the Act to be charged by persons licensed in terms of Section 22C (1) (a) of the Act must be calculated, exclusive of VAT, as follows:

• Where the single exit price of a medicine or scheduled substance is less than one hundred and thirty-three rand and fifty cents (R133.50), the dispensing fee must not exceed 30% of the single exit price in respect of that medicine or scheduled substance;
• Where the single exit price of a medicine or scheduled substance is equal to or greater than one hundred and thirty-three rand and fifty-one cents (R133.51), the dispensing fee must not exceed forty rand and five cents (R40.05) in respect of that medicine or scheduled substance.

In March 2020 the 30% was calculated on an SEP of less than R128.00 and an SEP of equal or greater than R128.00 earned a R38.40 fee. In little more than one year, the dispensing fee thus increased with 4.3%.

 

Pharmacy dispensing fee

• Where the single exit price of a medicine or scheduled substance is less than one hundred and seventeen rand and eighty five cents (R117.85), the dispensing fee shall not exceed R16.25 plus 46% of the single exit price in respect of that medicine or scheduled substance;
• Where the single exit price of a medicine or scheduled substance is greater than or equal to one hundred and seventeen rand and eighty five cents (R117.85), but less than three hundred and fourteen rand and twenty four cents (R314.24) the dispensing fee shall not exceed R30.15 plus 33% of the single exit price in respect of that medicine or scheduled substance.
• Where the single exit price of a medicine or scheduled substance is greater than or equal to three hundred and fourteen rand and twenty four cents (R314.24), but less than one-thousand and ninety nine rand and eighty four cents (R1099.84) the dispensing fee shall not exceed R86.15 plus 15% of the single exit price in respect of that medicine or scheduled substance.
• Where the single exit price of a medicine or scheduled substance is greater than or equal to one-thousand and ninety nine rand and eighty four cents (R1099.84), the dispensing fee shall not exceed R200.50 plus 5% of the single exit price in respect of that medicine or scheduled substance.

 

COMPARISION BETWEEN DOCTOR AND PHARMACIST DISPENSING FEE

PRODUCT	SEP	DOCTOR DISPENSING FEE	PHARMACIST DISPENSING FEE	PRICE DIFFERENCE
Mybulen caps 30	R53.06	@ 30% = R15.92 Total = R68.98	@46% = R24.41 + R16.25 = R40.66 Total = R93.72	R24.74 OR 35.87%
Omez caps 20mg 30	R151.57	@ fixed fee of R40.05 Total price = R191.62	@33% = R50.02 + R30.15 = R80.17 Total price = R231.74	R40.12 OR 20.94%
Foxair accuhaler 50/500ug 60 blisters	R384.43	@fixed fee of R40.05 Total price = R424.48	@15% = R57.67 + R86.15 = R143.82 Total price = R528.25	R103.77 OR 24.45%