50 pharmacies to rejoin drugs schemes

The HSE said today it has received requests from over 50 pharmacies to recommence providing services under the State drug schemes.

In a statement this afternoon the Health Service Executive (HSE) said the pharmacies in question provided 30-day termination notices to it and stopped providing services from August 1st, but had since decided they wanted to recommence dispensing presciptions.

The HSE said today it is writing to these pharmacies to advise them that a facility is now in place to enable them to immediately recommence services under the State drug schemes.

Patrick Burke, head of the HSE's Primary Care Reimbursement Scheme said that as soon as it receives a returned copy of the letter which confirms that the pharmacies will provide services they will be able to start dispensing and receiving payment.

The HSE also said that reports it was getting suggested that people are having less difficulty obtaining medication this week.

The pharmacy dispute remains in stalemate despite intensive background efforts to find an agreed basis for talks between the Minister for Health Mary Harney and the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU).

High Court proceedings brought by the HSE on Friday which are aimed at compelling more than 30 pharmacies owned by the Hickeys and Bradleys chains to continue to provide medicine to the public under the terms of the community drugs schemes, have been adjourned until September.

Hundreds of pharmacists withdrew from the various schemes - which include the medical card and the drug payment scheme - at the start of August in protest at cuts in fees and payments of €133 million introduced by the Government.

Minister for Health, Mary Harney maintains the cuts will reduce payments to pharmacists by 24 per cent, but stressed they will continue to earn high margins on prescriptions similar to what was paid in 2006 and 2007.

But the IPU estimates the figures do not add up and that its members will be hit with an unsustainable 34 per cent cut.