Pharmacists Association, Insurance Federation  reach agreement 

AMMAN — The Jordan Pharmacists Association (JPA) on Thursday announced reaching a new agreement with the Jordan Insurance Federation (JIF) following a three-months-long dispute. 

President of the JPA Mohammad Ababneh said in a statement that the agreement details new contractual terms organising the relationship between pharmacies and insurance companies. 

These were agreed upon following meetings with representatives from the JIF, facilitated through the Central Bank of Jordan, which supervises and regulates the insurance sector in Jordan, according to Ababneh. 

The agreement involves regulating mechanisms related to meeting the financial claims due to pharmacies and reducing the monthly percentage deducted by insurance companies from 6 per cent to 3 per cent, he added. 

Speaking with the Jordan Times, the assistant secretary of the association Salah Qindeel explained that this percentage will be reduced to zero for “(cost/public) medications”, which are sold at cost price, as per the regulations of the Jordan Food and Drug Administration. 

He also noted that the new agreement stipulates that insurance companies are to pay their dues to pharmacies within a period that does not exceed 45 days after receiving the financial claim. 

Qindeel added that the JPA has the right to direct all or any insurance company to suspend transactions with any pharmacy that violates the new terms. 

He pointed out that some pharmacies make agreements with insurance companies, increasing their percentage to 10 or 12 per cent in return for referring more patients to them, which allows them to sell more and harms the business of other pharmacies.