REBEL pharmacists were warned last night they faced legal action for breaching their state contract to dispense drugs to the public.

PRESSURE is growing on the Taoiseach to cut short his holidays and intervene in the pharmacists’ dispute before patients die, after Health Minister Mary Harney last night refused to appoint a mediator to end the escalating row.

PHARMACISTS claim their dispute with the HSE is “snowballing out of control” after only half of the 80 people forced to queue for medicine at a HSE dispensary in Donegal went home with drugs.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has today hit back in what is becoming an increasingly bitter war of words with the Health Service Executive (HSE).

PROTESTING pharmacists have warned of widespread medicine shortages and dispensing delays from tomorrow with hundreds of chemists either remaining closed or refusing to dispense medicines under the community drugs schemes.

Widespread medicine shortages and delays are being forecast by the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) following the withdrawal of as many as 800 pharmacists from the Drug Payment schemes.

AGE Action has condemned the decision by some pharmacists involved in the dispute over fees under the community drugs schemes to remain closed today.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) is disputing the HSE's announcement that over 1,100 pharmacists are continuing to dispense medicine under the State drug schemes today.

Health chiefs were today warned patients‘ safety was at risk as hundreds of chemists are expected to stop dispensing prescriptions to medical card holders.

PHARMACISTS have accused the Health Service Executive of throwing up a smokescreen over a looming crisis in the supply of medicines under the State’s community schemes.

Pharmacists tonight hit out at State health chiefs claiming they were desperately trying to cover up a looming crisis in the supply of medicine.

Plans by the HSE to supply medicines to patients on the Community Drugs Scheme have come under fire after pharmacists highlighted 'inaccuracies' in its list of participating pharmacies published in daily newspapers this morning.

PATIENTS must not be used as pawns by any party in a commercial dispute, patient advocate Stephen McMahon told over 1,000 pharmacists attending an emergency meeting over government fee cuts.

Pharmacists have today warned that the country is 10 days away from a crisis in the supply of medicines.

MORE than 900 pharmacists have told the Health Service Executive they are withdrawing from the community drugs schemes.

Health Minister Mary Harney has announced reductions in payments to community pharmacists to reduce the rise in State expenditure on drugs and medicines

Around one in 10 non-medical card holders are cutting back on vital medicine because of the recession, a new study has found.

Pharmacists passed a vote of no confidence in the Government’s health policies at their annual conference today.

FEARS that cuts being forced through by Government will threaten the viability of pharmacies will dominate the Irish Pharmacy Union’s AGM today.

FREE patient advice and services provided by pharmacists reduced GP visits by almost four million and unnecessary attendances at accident and emergency departments by more than 500,000 in 2007, a report claims.

PHARMACISTS say they are willing to help the Government reduce the cost of the state’s medicines bill.

THE Health Service Executive has warned that medicine prices will rise by around 9% when it restores a controversial drugs payment scheme next month.

HEALTH Minister Mary Harney has been accused of fuelling the crisis in the pharmacy sector by delaying the publication of the report on payments for pharmacies.

PHARMACISTS have warned the Government a row over plans to refuse to dispense drugs to medical card holders could flare up again because of the slow progress of talks with the Health Service Executive.

PHARMACISTS last night stepped up the pressure on the Government to make the morning-after pill available without prescription.

ONE-IN-FIVE Irish patients are taking two or more medicines and almost one in four are worried they are not taking them properly.

One in five Irish patients are currently taking two or more medicines and 23% of those are concerned that they are not taking their medicines correctly.

UP to 800 medicines in regular use are not licensed by the Irish Medicines Board (IMB), a situation that is causing increasing problems for pharmacists.