Wednesday, September 12, 2007 Group opposes 20% discount to seniors, differently-abled
REPUBLIC Act 7277, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, aggravates the sufferings of the small drugstores, said the Drugstore Association of the Philippines (DSAP) official.
DSAP national president Ma. Erlinda Pascual said the law requires drug stores to give a 20-percent discount to persons with disabilities.
Pascual said small drugstores are already suffering from the required to give 20-percent discounts to senior citizens, she added during the 11th DSAP National Convention held in Cebu City last week.
Lorenzo Ong, DSAP Cebu chapter president, said it is difficult for small pharmacies to give the 20 percent discount.
While small drugstores can give discounts to persons with disabilities, 20 percent is too high, Pascual said.
Small drugstores do not have enough revenues, she said, adding that “we can’t give what we don’t have.”
She said the discounts would eat up on the earnings of drugstores. She added that a three-percent discount would be bearable for small drugstores.
Pascual said small drugstores would rather offer medicines at lower prices.
“Hindi naman kami lugi kapag cheaper yung rates ng medicines namin, because it will lure more customers,” she said. (We won’t be at a losing end if we sell cheaper medicines.)
But small drugstores cannot bear to shoulder the 20-percent discounts on top of lowered prices of medicines.
“Kinukuha na nga yung tubo, pati ba naman ang puhunan,” Pascual said. (The profit has been taken away from us; they can’t also take our capital away.) (TEP)
