No U-turn on pharmacists' fees deal, warns Harney

Health Minister Mary Harney tonight refused to back down in the face of a crippling pharmacists’ dispute insisting cuts in fees are not up for discussion.

Pharmacists warned they were close to breaking point as a war of words continued, with health chiefs claiming there has been a concerted effort to disrupt its back-up supply systems.

State drug schemes around the country have been hit with pharmacists claiming the worst affected areas were Donegal, Waterford, Mayo, Kerry, North Dublin, Kilkenny, Galway and Limerick.

Patients queued for several hours at community hospitals in Inishowen and still were not seen.

However, Ms Harney warned pharmacists will not be allowed to cherry-pick contracts and insisted talks on fees were not an option as it would breach competition law.

“It is done. There will be no policy change, no change in the law to change the payment rates now,” she said.

“There can be no case now to divert money needed for health services in the autumn back to the pharmacy sector.”

Ms Harney said the Government would use every means, including court enforcement, to ensure contracts are fulfilled.

The Irish Pharmacists’ Union (IPU) said it has received reports of long delays, Health Service Executive dispensaries not having commonly used medicines and prescriptions being incorrectly filled.

John Corr, chairman of the IPU contracts committee, said the HSE was spending huge amounts of money sending much-needed medicines around the country.

“The HSE is constantly talking about the need to save money but it seems to have no problem couriering prescriptions across the country at tremendous expense,” he said.

“Not alone is this hugely expensive it is also very poor practise.”

The IPU warned there is a two-day wait for HSE orders from wholesalers and further delays before they are sent to pharmacists from a distribution depot.

The HSE weighed in calling for all pharmacists to continue dispensing methadone to recovering drug addicts.

However, it said special clinics set up by the HSE, three of which are based in Dublin, are coping with demand.

“The decision by a pharmacist to terminate their Community Pharmacy Contractor Agreement does not automatically affect their arrangement with the HSE to provide methadone maintenance,” the HSE said.

However, Labour’s Joe Costello, Dublin inner city TD, claimed that assessment does not stand up.

He said City Clinic on Amiens Street is the only facility open for methadone right across the northside.

“Numbers have doubled from 400 to 800 this week and are increasing rapidly. Such numbers are putting enormous pressure on a single small facility and small area in the North Inner City,” Mr Costello said.

Pharmacists are under threat of High Court action for cancelling co-operation with the state drug schemes.

Ms Harney said: “We will not allow contracts made for patients to be ignored or cherry-picked.

“For pharmacies in contract, there can be no charges for medical card patients or inappropriate closing of pharmacies and refusal to provide medicines under contracted services in a timely way.”

Ms Harney said after changes in fees from the start of July 1,600 pharmacists will be paid half a billion euro for community services. Next year it will be approximately €420m which Ms Harney said brings fees back to 2006 levels.

Ms Harney said: “This is a fair payment from the community of taxpayers and patients for the community services provided by the pharmacy sector.”