75% of pharmacies 'providing services'

The HSE has insisted that its temporary dispensing facilities were ‘busy but manageable’ over the course of yesterday, and that three quarters of all pharmacies are unaffected by the dispute, in spite of reports to the contrary from the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU).

A number of temporary drug dispensing facilities have been put in place by the HSE to compensate for hundreds of pharmacies which have withdrawn from State drug schemes, including the medical card scheme and long term illness scheme, because of cuts to their payments.

The HSE said that because 1,100 pharmacies are open for State drug schemes business, it is important to bear in mind that the HSE dispensaries represent a very small fraction of the options that are available to patients and clients across the country.

“I would like to assure the community that 75% of pharmacies continue to provide services under the State drugs schemes. I would also like to acknowledge the pharmacies who continue to fulfil their agreements with the HSE and are putting the needs of their patients and clients first,” said Patrick Burke, head of the HSE’s primary care reimbursement scheme.
 
“These pharmacies are accepting an average payment by the HSE of €30 (down from €36) for every €100 worth of medication dispensed under the State drugs schemes,” he added.

Mr Burke said that in general people living in urban centres had no problem getting medication.
 
“Unfortunately the most vulnerable people in small isolated communities are being targeted by a minority of pharmacists who were causing undue worry to their own patients and clients in a concerted campaign in an attempt to force a Government decision to be reversed.
 
“There is no getting away from the fact that the responsibility for the inconvenience being suffered by patients and clients rests completely with a small minority of pharmacists. Nobody else,” he said.
 
“This action is about money. It has nothing to do with patient care,” he added.

Mr Burke stressed that any issues at the temporary dispensing facilities were being dealt with as soon as they arose, adding that the facilities cannot replace the service of local pharmacies.

“They are primarily designed to meet urgent needs and to ensure that no patient in urgent need of medicine is left without,” he said.

“Patients are being invited to come back if there is a queue. Some are being offered transport to participating pharmacies in the area. However, in the majority of cases patients are choosing to wait for their medications,” he said.

The IPU believes the number of pharmacies the HSE has quoted is incorrect, and has claimed that there are widespread delays and supply problems identified all over the country.

It said that very few pharmacies are open in Dundalk and Drogheda, and delays of up to eight hours have been reported in pharmacies in Newbridge, Co Kildare.

This afternoon, the IPU said the situation was 'snowballing out of control' in many areas as the HSE dispensaries and other pharmacies struggled to deal with a back log of prescriptions and medicine shortages.

John Corr, chairman of the IPU Contracts Committee said the HSE and the Health Minister are trying to drive pharmacists and their staff onto the dole queue, saying that the cuts have the potential to make 5,000 people in the sector unemployed at a cost of €71 million to the exchequer.

Meanwhile, Brainwave the Irish Epilepsy Association has voiced its concern at the impact the pharmacists’ dispute will have on people with epilepsy, and has supported the call for a mediator to be appointed to rectify the situation.

Brainwave said that so far it has not encountered direct problems but said it expects some issues to emerge among the 37,000 people with epilepsy in Ireland. Medication for epilepsy is included in the long term illness scheme, which is affected by the dispute.

"It is absolutely vital that people taking medication to treat epilepsy have uninterrupted access to that medication in order to remain free of seizures," said Mike Glynn, CEO of Brainwave.

Brainwave stressed that many people with epilepsy live in rural areas and can’t drive because of the risk of seizures. In these cases, access to pharmacies may be limited.

[Posted: Wed 05/08/2009]