Chemists set to quit drug scheme

MANY pharmacies were shut for most of the day yesterday when more than 1,000 members of the Irish Pharmaceutical Union attended an emergency meeting in Dublin to discuss the Health Service Executive’s cost-cutting measures.

Pharmacists, however, waited for the closed session of the day-long meeting to announce their intention to terminate their contracts with the HSE to supply drugs to medical card patients.

Pharmacists are required to give three months’ notice of their intention to quit the community drug payment scheme. The HSE confirmed no pharmacist has yet given notice.