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Local France
4 days ago
- Health
- Local France
French pharmacies to close on Saturday in dispute over pricing
French pharmacists' unions have called for nationwide mobilisation on Saturday, in response to a government decree limiting how much pharmacists can discount generic medications. As a result, thousands of pharmacies across France could be closed on Saturday. In some areas, up to 90 percent of pharmacies could be closed, namely in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, as well as the Côte-d'Or, Saône-et-Loire and Gers départements, according to a prediction from the head of the USPO pharmacist union, Pierre-Olivier Variot. Variot told local news outlet France Bleu , "We are not on strike. We will be closed to consider what to do next, and whether there will be closures and redundancies." Advertisement Instead, the pharmacies will be having 'an exceptional closure', according to the USPO flyer . Meanwhile many pharmacies will be closed or operating with reduced hours on Friday, due to the Assumption bank holiday, you can check online to find your nearest 'Pharmacie de garde'. READ MORE: What's open and what's closed in France on August 15th What is the government decree related to discounts? The decree, which was published on August 4th, stands to decrease the size of the discount that drug manufacturers allow pharmacists to apply to generic drugs. Historically, these legally regulated discounts were created to promote the wider distribution of generic drugs. Currently, manufacturers can allow pharmacists to mark down generic drugs by up to 40 percent. However, this will drop down to 30 percent starting September 1st. In 2027, it will decrease again to 20 percent. For pharmacists, the decrease in discount would affect their profit margins, as the system allowed them to take home a portion of the drug price, thanks to Social Security reimbursing the drug at its full price. Pharmacists fear that the change could force one in three pharmacies (or 6,000 in total) to close, particularly smaller, rural locations. Why is the government changing the discount rules? The change is part of the government's plan to cut healthcare spending by €1.7 billion in 2025. As part of that, the government hoped to cut at least €500 million in spending on medications via negotiated price reductions with manufacturers, BFMTV reported. Will there be more mobilisation? Unions had been anticipating the government's announcement. In July, two other unions, the FSPF and the UNPF, which also represent pharmacists, along with the USPO, called for an 'indefinite strike by on-call ( garde ) staff starting on September 1st. Unions have also called for another day of pharmacy closures on September 18th, and then continuous closures every Saturday beginning on September 27th, Ouest France reported.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Yahoo
Lenoir man sentenced to 14 years for possessing child sexual abuse material while on supervised release for similar conviction
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – A Lenoir man was sentenced Tuesday to 14 years in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release for possessing child sexual abuse material. According the U.S. Attorney's Office for Western North Carolina, 40-year-old Joshua Lynn Cook was on federal supervised release for a 2016 federal conviction for similar offense involving sexual exploitation of children. Former Caldwell County pastor sentenced to 10 years for possession of child pornography on church computer 'Despite prior convictions and strict court supervision, Cook broke the law once again and revictimized children by accessing and possessing horrific material depicting their sexual abuse,' said Acting U.S. Attorney Lawrence Cameron. 'Cook's sentence reflects the consequences awaiting those who continue to ignore the law and harm vulnerable children.' Under the terms of Cook's federal supervision from the 2016 conviction, he was not permitted to own an electronic device capable of accessing the internet, including a cellphone. Cook was also subject to periodic home inspections by the U.S. Probation Office (USPO). Court records show that, on Feb. 8, 2024, during a home inspection, USPO found Cook in possession of an unauthorized phone in his bedroom. Cook admitted to using the phone to access child sexual abuse material around the time that he first gained access to the phone, which was within one month of his release from prison. An FBI examination revealed that the phone and SD card contained images and videos depicting the material, including toddlers. On Oct. 9, 2024, Cook pleaded guilty to possession and access with intent to view child pornography involving prepubescent minors. Today, the Court sentenced Cook to 151 months of incarceration for the charges, and 18 months, to run consecutive, for committing this offense while on federal supervised release Cook will remain in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Man on Burke County's Most Wanted list arrested for breaking into places of worship Along with the sentencing, Cook was also ordered to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison. The court further ordered him to pay $17,000 in special assessments pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018. The FBI with the assistance of the USPO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
