Medigas waives rental charges for F and IF cylinders
Medigas will waive rental charges for F and IF cylinders, the company announced this week.
“In appreciation for the continued support pharmacies have provided
through the transition, rental charges for F and IF will be waived,” Medigas’s
accounts manager Jacqueline Nicholls said in a letter to pharmacists. “For
pharmacies that continue to provide services through the transition period,
I will also waive any cylinder reconciliation charges which I previously
indicated would be levied this year. This is in appreciation of the continued
services and support provided through this period.” She added that,
for the foreseeable future, Medigas will also continue to provide credit
for full cylinders returned.
Sue Sharpe, chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating
Committee, thanked Medigas for recognising that it is unfair to penalise
pharmacy contractors for their support at this difficult time. “We
would strongly encourage the other oxygen suppliers, Air Products and
BOC Medical, to follow the lead of Medigas and, in recognition of pharmacists’ support
at this time, give urgent consideration to dropping charges for missing
cylinders and suspending rental payments for Drug Tariff cylinders,” she
said.
A spokesman for BOC said that the company has never charged, and has
no intention of charging, rental on 1,360-litre, Drug Tariff cylinders
to any customer who trades with the company normally and with whom it
has agreed cylinder holdings. A spokeswoman for Air Products told The
Journal that the company is currently involved in discussions with the
Department of Health about the issue of cylinder charges. |
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Pharmaceutical Journal
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