Pharmacy students face an uncertain future as a result of dispute

I WISH to express my concerns with the current situation as regards the pharmacy contract.

The HSE is considering cutting the funding of two major schemes provided by pharmacies, resulting in a dramatic decrease in day-to-day cashflow from which they pay staff, supply extra services not paid for by the HSE and cover costs.

As a pharmacy student, I feel the changes the HSE has proposed will compromise my education and prospects. The proposed changes will result in less community pharmacies taking on pre-registration students due to the unsteady financial situation this puts them in. Currently the vast majority of placements are funded by community pharmacists from their income and the few in hospitals are funded by the HSE, although some of these have now been withdrawn.