Concern over medicine supply as looters target 47 pharmacies in KZN, Gauteng
At least 47 independently owned pharmacies in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng have also been targeted by looters.
"So we're looking at replacing the stock within the pharmacy. That's a couple of millions per pharmacy, " CEO of the Independent Community Pharmacist Association, Jackie Maimin said.
"There's pharmacies that have had structural damage. Unfortunately, the looters have trashed the places. The gondolas, the shelving, the computers and IT."
Maimin says each pharmacy has lost an estimated of R2.5 million in the attacks.
"The wholesalers in Kwazulu-Natal, two of them, have been looted and of course this will affect supply chain because it's from these wholesalers that these medicines are supplied to all the pharmacies in the KZN province.
"So we are very concerned about the supply of medicines going forward."
She says although some pharmacies are open, people with chronic illnesses who need their meds from stores that have been affected - will have to contact their doctors to get new scripts where necessary.
