Talks to prevent pharmacies abandoning drugs schemes ‘constructive’

TALKS aimed at preventing pharmacists from pulling out of community drugs schemes will continue today after a “constructive” session yesterday.

More than 800 pharmacists have threatened to stop dispensing medicines to patients who use medical cards or the drug refund scheme from this Thursday in protest at the Health Service Executive’s decision to reduce reimbursement fees. However, the Irish Pharmacy Union said a meeting with HSE officials yesterday was constructive and efforts would continue towards finding a way to resolve the dispute.

“Contacts will continue over the next 24 hours,” an IPU spokeswoman although she added that the threat of a pull-out remained.

The HSE described the talks as “business-like” and confirmed that contacts would continue. However, it said it was not withdrawing a threat of securing injunctions against pharmacies that refuse to operate the drugs schemes from Thursday. An application for injunctions against nine named pharmacists in Kerry, Mayo, Donegal and Roscommon came before the High Court yesterday and was adjourned to Thursday.

“Vulnerable people are being placed in an invidious and worrying situation and should not be pushed forward as pawns by either side,” said Sean Hannick, chairman for Council for the West. The dispute arises from a HSE announcement last September that it would be cutting the margin paid to pharmaceutical wholesalers from 17% to 8% to bring it into line with the more modest industry norms in the rest of Europe.

The HSE does not buy directly from wholesalers but instead reimburses pharmacists for what they buy. From last month, the reimbursements presumed the cut in wholesale margins had resulted in lower prices for pharmacists.

However, pharmacists say they paid the same price as before and have been left out of pocket by the HSE’s failure to reimburse them in full.

The 800 pharmacies that have so far threatened to pull out represent about half the IPU’s membership. The HSE has set up a helpline on 1850 24 1850 for concerned patients and says it will be able to advise them how to get their medicines if their local pharmacist refuses to fill their prescription on Thursday.