Pharmacists call off drugs scheme action after HSE concessions on pricing

PHARMACISTS have called off today’s planned withdrawal from the community drugs schemes after concessions by the Health Service Executive (HSE) on the contentious new medicines pricing system.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) agreed last night to accept an interim compromise deal pending a review of the system by an independent group.

Up to 1,000 community pharmacists had threatened to refuse to fill prescriptions for medical card patients or to dispense subsidised medicines under the drugs payment, long-term illness and hi-tech drugs schemes from this morning. They are in dispute with the HSE after it imposed price reductions on drugs wholesalers which the pharmacists say have not been passed on to them.