Apoteka Beograd is grappling with an increasingly alarming situation. Jelena Šikuljak, president of the “Opstanak” union, told Biznis.rs in an interview that employees’ salaries have been delayed for three months, and there is a severe shortage of marketable drugs on the pharmacy’s shelves.
Šikuljak explained that the union had repeatedly informed inspectors about the irregularities they observed, and had addressed higher authorities, but received no response. In an effort to resolve the issues, the union has collaborated with other state-owned pharmacy institutions across Serbia, organizing joint protests on February 2nd and 15th. This Friday, the unions will submit a joint request to the Ministry of Health, asking for their salaries to be re-contracted with the Republic Health Insurance Fund (RFZO), as local governments are struggling to find financial models to support state pharmacies.
Šikuljak pointed out that while RFZO has a rulebook for contracting salaries with healthcare institutions, Apoteka Beograd, as a pharmacy institution, is part of the RFZO network but remains the only one not receiving state-paid salaries.
In 2006, the City of Belgrade took over the foundation rights for Apoteka Beograd, but, as Šikuljak emphasizes, the City did not assume responsibility for paying employees’ salaries. Unlike other healthcare workers in primary, secondary, and tertiary care, who receive salaries contracted through RFZO, Apoteka Beograd’s employees continue to go unpaid.
The employees also remain in the dark about the long-awaited reprogramming of the 1.9 billion dinar debt. With no concrete answers from management, dissatisfaction among the workforce continues to grow. According to Šikuljak, a fresh wave of departures has begun, further exacerbating the already dire situation at one of the few remaining publicly owned pharmaceutical institutions in Serbia.
“We have still not received the second half of the November salary, nor the salaries for December, January, or February—meaning a total of six partial payments,” said Šikuljak. “Additionally, the supply is critically low. Only a small amount of goods has arrived from one supplier, and even then, it has only reached a few pharmacies.”
On the issue of the 1.9 billion dinar debt, Šikuljak explained the confusion surrounding the reprogramming process. “At one point, we were told the reprogram was signed, then that it was approved, and later that it hadn’t been signed yet. If Apoteka Beograd signs the reprogramming agreement with the suppliers, it will mean crediting the pharmacy, which does nothing to help us. However, if the City of Belgrade signs it, that would make a difference,” Šikuljak stated.
Shortage of essential medications
The shortage of essential medications in Apoteka Beograd has reached concerning levels, with some commonly used drugs in high demand missing from the shelves. Šikuljak highlighted several examples, such as the absence of Brufen in sachets, a critical form of penicillin for adults, and the scarcity of Tiplixam, a blood pressure medication. While Apoteka Belgrade has received a small amount of Ospamox and Amoxicillin, the supply remains insufficient to meet the needs of patients, with some drugs running out in just a couple of days.
No response from authorities
A month ago, Nikola Prelević, acting director of Apoteka Beograd, spoke to Biznis.rs about the financial difficulties the institution has been facing for years. At the time, Prelević stated that Apoteka Belgrade owes 1.9 billion dinars and that the City of Belgrade had developed a long-term plan for debt repayment and financial stabilization. He mentioned that negotiations were ongoing with suppliers, with expectations that the supply would be restored within ten days.
However, despite repeated attempts by Biznis.rs to reach out for updates, the authorities at Apoteka Beograd have not responded to queries about the resolution of the reprogramming, the ongoing supply issues, or the status of employee salaries.
As Apoteka Belgrade continues to struggle with severe financial and operational challenges, employees, patients, and the public await decisive actions from both the government and local authorities to restore the institution’s financial stability and ensure that essential medications remain accessible to the citizens of Belgrade.
