How to Use Your Medical Aid at Chidzanani Pharmacy: PULA, BOMAID & BPOMAS
Chidzanani Pharmacy processes direct medical aid claims at every branch, so most members walk out paying little or nothing upfront. This guide explains exactly how it works with Botswana's main schemes — PULA, BOMAID and BPOMAS — plus BOTSOGO and the MVA Fund.
What is a direct (real-time) claim? Instead of paying cash and claiming back yourself, our pharmacist submits your prescription electronically to your medical aid at the counter. Your scheme approves the covered portion instantly, and you only pay any co-payment or levy that remains.
What to bring: (1) your valid medical aid membership card, (2) a photo ID (Omang or passport), (3) your original prescription from a registered doctor, and (4) the patient's membership number if you are collecting for a dependant. Chronic medication may also need a pre-approved chronic authorisation number from your scheme.
PULA Medical Aid Fund: One of Botswana's largest open schemes. Bring your PULA card and prescription — acute medicines are usually claimed in real time against your day-to-day benefit. Chronic medicines (for hypertension, diabetes, asthma, etc.) must first be registered on PULA's chronic programme; ask our team to help you submit the chronic application form.
BOMAID (Botswana Medical Aid Society): Botswana's oldest medical aid. BOMAID members claim directly at our tills using the membership card. Keep an eye on your annual medicine benefit limit — once the acute benefit is used up, remaining costs become a co-payment. Our pharmacist can check your available benefit before dispensing so there are no surprises.
BPOMAS (Botswana Public Officers Medical Aid Scheme): Covers public service employees and is administered alongside Associated Fund Administrators (AFA). Bring your BPOMAS card; chronic and specialist medicines usually require a valid authorisation number, which your prescribing doctor or our pharmacy can help arrange.
Why claims get rejected — and how we prevent it: expired membership, an unregistered chronic condition, a prescription older than the scheme's validity window, exhausted annual limits, or a medicine not on the scheme's formulary. Our team verifies your cover in real time and suggests an approved alternative or a generic equivalent whenever a claim would otherwise bounce.
Co-payments and levies: some schemes apply a small fixed levy per item or a percentage co-payment on certain brands. Choosing a generic equivalent, where clinically suitable, often reduces or removes this cost. Just ask our pharmacist about the lowest-cost covered option.
Collecting for family or chronic refills: dependants are covered under the main member's number — bring that member's card details. For monthly chronic refills, use our Refill Reminder so we can pre-check your authorisation and have your medicine ready before you run out.
Ready to claim? Visit any Chidzanani Pharmacy branch in Francistown, Gaborone, Nata or Masunga, or message your nearest branch on WhatsApp with a photo of your prescription and medical aid card, and we'll confirm your cover before you arrive.