Pharmacists attend emergency meeting

Hundreds of pharmacists are to attend an emergency information session in Dublin today in advance of August 1, when they have threatened to stop supplying medicines under the Community Drug Schemes.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has warned that some pharmacies may be closed for the morning and early afternoon on Wednesday as hundreds of pharmacists travel to Dublin.

Eight hundred pharmacists have given the HSE written notice that they will be withdrawing from the Community Drug Schemes, which include the medical card scheme and the drug payment scheme, because of what they say is a 34% cut in payments they receive under the schemes.

However, Health Minister Mary Harney has said the cut only constitutes a 24% reduction in payment.

Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, the Minister said the Government was trying to contain the rising cost of medication in Ireland, and in particular to reduce the cost to patients.

She said that prior to June 1, a drug that cost €85 million coming from the factory cost over €150 million to get to the patient, when distribution and dispensing costs were taken into account.

She added that the Government wanted to move to a system of 'reference-pricing' from next year where it would specify the maximum price it would pay for various types of drugs under State schemes and 'only pay that price'.

The Minister said that even after the fees cut she believed pharmacists would continue to be adequately rewarded for the huge skill that they bring in dispensing medicines to patients.

Experts say reference-pricing of drugs would reduce the cost to the State of more expensive pharmaceutical products.

The HSE has written to the pharmacists appealing to them to facilitate patients and clients in having their prescriptions filled in other locations by providing clients with their records, such as repeat prescriptions and dispensing records, on request.

In addition, pharmacists who have chosen to terminate their contract have been asked to give Drug Payment Scheme patients’ details of the payments they have made up to the termination date of the contract.

Yesterday the HSE announced details of 12 new pharmacy locations which it will be setting up in the west of the country from August 1.

“Our advice to people who are concerned about where they can get their medication after August 1 is to ask their local pharmacist if they will be withdrawing services or if they will be continuing to provide a service to them,” said Kate Mulvenna, the HSE’s chief pharmacist.

“If they are withdrawing services, individuals can ask for their records and transfer to another pharmacy in the locality or to a HSE pharmacy which we will be setting up in locations around the country, as required,” she said.

For more on the pharmacists' dispute, see here.

[Posted: Wed 22/07/2009]