Pharmacists’ dispute - Government must win this battle

IT WAS only a matter of time before some professional group or trade union found itself in court fighting the Government to try to defend fat-of-the-land arrangements made before our economy imploded.

Equally, it was only a matter of time before Government took some representative body or other to court to ensure that services agreed under contract were delivered.

Yesterday, in the High Court, the Health Services Executive won injunctions against 35 pharmacists to ensure that they meet their obligations agreed under a range of lucrative programmes established to deliver drugs to those who need them — one of which is the Community Pharmacy Agreement.

The HSE went to court to force named pharmacies to provide their customers with the drugs they need. The Executive will pursue pharmacies who have fully or partially closed and who, in the HSE’s view, have breached their contracts.

In the context of our changing reality — yesterday’s unemployment figures showed that 423,400 people were out of work in July — pharmacists have overestimated the public’s empathy with their cause.

Those who have refused to dispense drugs to regular customers have most certainly overestimated that empathy and should now understand that they stepped across the line.

By using the old, the congenitally and psychiatrically ill as hostages to try to paint Health Minister Mary Harney, the Health Services Executive and taxpayers into a corner to preserve unsustainable privilege, they have clarified issues. They have shown where their priorities lie and cannot be surprised if they find themselves isolated.

That a good number of pharmacists have stayed open suggests that they realise that using the plight of sick people to try to force the Government’s hand is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to succeed. This sorry point has been reached after another set of epic health sector negotiations — remember, it took four years to agree an insanely expensive deal with hospital consultants — so pharmacists may have to accept that the next opportunity they have to change their arrangements will come with the mandatory review due to take place within a year. The time, and the economic circumstances, for talking have passed and Minister Harney is obliged to put the greater good first. Thankfully, the indications are that she is prepared to do that.

Pharmacists have to accept too that they are seen as comfortable professionals who have done very well on foot of Government schemes. They should not be surprised if they are targeted in cost-saving exercises.

Ironically, in a way they are in a similar position to their customers who cannot get the drugs they need. The pharmacists are being used by Government — as they are using their customers — to draw a line in the sand. Minister Harney has repeatedly said that she and the Government are not for turning on this issue.

Is it possible that the Government has, at last, found the resolve needed to confront all the sectional interests who stand between this society and the possibility of economic recovery?

How wonderful it would be if they had. If not, if the pharmacists win, last man out turn off the lights.