Gaza pharmacists survive by 'lending' diplomas to investors
The dire economic situation in Gaza has driven pharmacology graduates to charge investors a fee for the use of their degrees to obtain pharmacy licenses.
In the Gaza Strip's struggling economy, “lending” one’s degree or diploma to obtain income has become an increasingly popular practice in the field of pharmacology. With a dearth of job opportunities due to the political situation and the Israeli blockade, and unable to afford opening their own pharmacy, many pharmacology graduates have been trading on their degrees to help private investors open pharmacies and in some cases to work in them.
Khalil Hachem holds a bachelor’s in pharmacology and was completely unaware of the job market in his field at graduation. He explained to Al-Monitor, “If I had the chance again, I would have chosen a different major, because a pharmacy degree in the Gaza Strip is nothing more than a government license to trade in drugs. The pharmaceutical market is limited to selling or promoting pharmaceuticals, because the government positions in the Palestinian Authority-affiliated institutions have been suspended in Gaza in light of the political differences between Hamas and Fatah, not to mention the fact that several pharmaceutical factories are out of business because of the Israeli blockade on Gaza. The only solution is for pharmacists to own their own pharmacy, which is a venture costing between $20,000 and $40,000. As no new graduates can afford such amounts, the majority of them end up lending their diplomas to investors.”
In Palestine, only someone who has obtained a degree in pharmacology is eligible to apply for a license to work in the field. Some licensed pharmacists are now entering into contracts with an investor who then uses their diploma to obtain a license to handle pharmaceuticals and pays all the costs associated with opening a pharmacy. Such agreements can be verbal or written, but regardless, they violate the code of conduct for pharmacies and pharmacists. As per Article 9 of the code, the Palestinian Ministry of Health can revoke someone’s license if it can be proven that the owner of a pharmaceutical entity is not the person originally granted the license.
A large number of pharmacists seek to lend their degrees to get a job or to increase their income. Among the investors are traders wanting to enter the pharmaceuticals market, as well as pharmacists who already own a dispensary but want to own more than one such establishment. In the latter case, however, Article 16, item A of the code of conduct forbids individuals — that is, licensed pharmacists — from owning more than one pharmaceutical concern. Using another pharmacist's diploma is an obvious workaround.
