Carrefour announced on Wednesday through its CEO that it had secured a supply of 175 million surgical masks. The next day, the boss of Leclerc, 170 million … Intermarché and Netto, 100 million … The government gives its approval to the sale and in 48 hours, “the masks are falling!”, protested the press release sent this Thursday by the National Order of Physicians, followed by pharmacists, dentists, midwives, masseurs-physiotherapists, podiatrists and nurses.
The caregivers on the front line, who had to face the shortage, did not spare their anger. “Today, consternation is combined with disgust. Any war has its profiteers”, launches the text.
“Nausea”, sign in subject of the email Dr. Stéphane Pichon, president of the Regional Council of the Order of Pharmacists Paca-Corse. “For the past month and a half, I have been saying to the sick, the frail, the respiratory-impaired, the cardiac, the diabetic … And the elderly who tremble every time they go out shopping: ‘I have nothing for you ‘”, scans Filip Van De Wiele, pharmacist in Saint-Saturnin-les-Avignon and vice-president of the Union of dispensary pharmacists’ unions 84 (USPO 84).
“For a month and a half, I say to fragile people: I have nothing for you”
Until Wednesday, pharmacists could neither sell nor buy masks, forced to distribute requisitioned state stocks only to medical staff. And this to the nearest unit, at the rate of a delivery of ten boxes of surgical masks per week and “still very little” FFP2 masks, to which are added the regional grants. As soon as he received the authorization, the pharmacist ordered. No more than 500 masks, via the group … And these will not be delivered before May 11, or even the 18th …
However, as of Wednesday, at the end of the day, Intermarché customers carrying the loyalty card could reserve by email a box of 50 surgical masks, sold for € 29.54 (or 59 cents per unit), to be collected between 4 and on May 9 at the store reception, as in Pernes-les-Fontaines. The supermarket chain put forward a stock of 30 million masks available. “The arrivals of this kind of product will become more fluid. But, for the moment, it is shocking”continues Filip Van de Wiele. “The whole profession is asking questions:‘ By ordering their masks, have these brands created a shortage of state stocks? Since when have these stocks been on French territory? The problem that this poses is health. “
More than a dozen brands have confirmed the sale of single-use masks this Monday. Their price is capped at 95 cents per unit and supplies will ramp up after May 11.
“Community pharmacists played the game”
“It is important that the population can have access to masks as soon as possible and in the most uniform way possible because they protect us”, insists Dr Muscat, general practitioner and president of the Professional Regional Health Community (CPST) of Grand Avignon.
This young structure brings together players in the ambulatory sector. She also worked during the crisis to collect and distribute free of charge personal care equipment.
“Community pharmacists played the game, they were the guarantors of the distribution of masks to healthcare professionals”, adds the general practitioner. Commending the efforts of the profession, on which “we could count”.
He also wonders “as a citizen and as a participant in the organization of care provision”. “I’m surprised … How can they quickly distribute millions of masks? When did they receive them? In shortage, aren’t there, ethically, products with high health value? “
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