Hilarious. Europe is swimming with powerful public sector unions. In Italy the government is attempting a privatization reform in the healthcare industry by allowing the licensing of 5,000 new private sector pharmacies. But the public sector pharmacists are screaming, they don't want competition so they are going to withhold Viagra in a nation where the drug is very popular.
Hospital pharmacists are threatening to cut Italians off from their Viagra unless the government amends its plans to reform professions that have high entry barriers...One group protested Thursday outside Parliament under the banner "No Viagra, No Party."...Hospital pharmacists, part of Italy's public health care system, say Premier Mario Monti's economic liberalization plan is unfair because it gives private pharmacists preference for new licenses. The reform calls for opening 5,000 new pharmacies.
Read the rest here
CBC News