LASHMA URGES COMMUNITY PHARMACIES TO IMPROVE SERVICE DELIVERY TO ILERA EKO OUT-PATIENTS OR RISK SANCTION

Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), has urged the 322 Community Pharmacies under the Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS), to improve their service delivery to ILERA EKO out-patients Enrollees or risk sanction.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), Dr. Emmanuella Zamba, who disclosed this recently, added that the Agency has received complaints from Enrollees that some of the Community Pharmacies do not attend to ILERA EKO out-patients thereby making Enrollees move from one Community Pharmacy to the other to get their drugs. 

Zamba said this has also prompted some of the out-patients Enrollees who could not afford to go to another Community Pharmacy under the Scheme, to pay out-of-pocket for their drugs.  

She said, “LASHMA as an Agency, is committed to the well-being and satisfaction of its Enrollees, therefore, the Agency would not fold its arms and allow this unwelcome development to continue unabated”. 

The Permanent Secretary reminded the Community Pharmacies that part of their responsibilities is to stock all the drugs on the LASHMA Drug list as the Agency prefers that Enrollees get their drugs from one Pharmacy thereby reducing the stress of going up and down. 

Zamba also empathised with Enrollees who have had cause to go to more than one Community Pharmacies before getting their drugs, saying “LASHMA regrets any inconvenience caused by the new initiative, especially in this economic hardship where the cost of everything including drugs and transportation is expensive”. 

She said that the Agency is committed to providing quality healthcare and ensuring customers’ satisfaction, adding that LASHMA values the importance of both the Enrollees and Providers on the Scheme and would therefore not introduce any initiative which could have an untoward effect on their health and businesses.

The Permanent Secretary further said that the hospital is still the first point of call by the Enrollees for their consultation, laboratory investigations and medications. 

She advised any Enrollee who will pick drugs from the Community Pharmacies to visit anyone nearest to their hospitals, homes or offices. She added that Enrollees are also at liberty not to visit any of the Community Pharmacies suggested by their hospitals but make their own choices. 

The Permanent Secretary urged ILERA EKO Enrollees to bear with LASHMA as the Agency is working hard to ensure that all the teething problems associated with the new initiative are solved. 

She equally appealed to Enrollees with complaints about the Community Pharmacies, not to hesitate to call the Agency through its 24/7 customer Service Number 0800-ASKLASHMA (0800- 275527462) or send WhatsApp messages via 07045358275 or 07046160051.  

The Permanent Secretary noted that before the inclusion of the Community Pharmacies under the Lagos State Health Scheme, the Agency held several engagements with the Providers and the Community Pharmacies to familiarise them with the new roles and responsibilities. 

While commending Providers and Community Pharmacies which have been alive to responsibilities and dispense drugs to Enrollees appropriately, Zamba said that the Agency in its usual practice, will continue to celebrate Providers that are diligent to their duties, provide effective service delivery, comply with the LSHS Law and committed to the realisation of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) policy of the Lagos State Government. 

The Permanent Secretary said that the Agency is aware of the economic problems in the country which are affecting the Providers. This, she said, prompted LASHMA to commence the process of reviewing its tariffs. 

She added that the Agency would roll out a new tariff for the Providers in quarter three of Year 2024 and this will boost their businesses. 

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary has directed the Regulatory arm of LASHMA to commence compliance visits to Community Pharmacies to ensure compliance with the laid down procedures and any erring Community Pharmacy found contravening the rule, would be appropriately sanctioned.