Madam, - Marc Coleman (Business This Week, July 28th) believes the three-year rule in pharmacy to be farcical. This rule prohibits a foreign-trained pharmacist from managing a shop less than three years old. This, of course, acts as a major deterrent to foreign trained pharmacists from opening shops in Ireland, as they would have to employ an Irish graduate for three years.
This may seem unfair and anti-competitive but is Mr Coleman aware that because of population per pharmacy legislation which exists in all other EU States (typically 5,000 people per pharmacy is the rule), Republic of Ireland graduates cannot possibly open shops anywhere but in the Republic of Ireland?
Would it not be farcical if foreign pharmacists were allowed to open as many shops as they liked here while we are prohibited by law from opening in the countries where they trained?
Mr Coleman also suggests we pharmacists are pampered by the Government. Is he aware that the single biggest threat to community pharmacy is being ignored by the Government? This is the emergence of large medical centres with attached pharmacies. The Government is allowing this despite its own review body declaring that there should be no beneficial ownership or business interest between prescribing and dispensing, for obvious reasons.
We have found this Government's attitude to pharmacy at best dismissive. If this is pampering, God save us from their wrath. - Yours, etc,
CIAN MURTAGH, Pharmacist, Cavan Town.