THE HEALTH Service Executive has invited pharmacies in Northern Ireland to consider dispensing medicines to its medical card patients in Border counties from the beginning of next month.
The invitation, issued through newspaper advertisements, comes as the HSE attempts to put in place arrangements to ensure thousands of patients are still able to have their prescriptions filled next month when hundreds of pharmacies withdraw from dispensing drugs under a host of State schemes.
Up to 900 pharmacies have already given the HSE notice of their intention to withdraw from providing these services from August 1st as a result of a Government decision to cut their fees. The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) says this will result in an average loss in income for pharmacists of 34 per cent and the closure of some pharmacies with the possible loss of up to 5,000 jobs.
The HSE said yesterday it is putting in place alternative arrangements, effectively to face down the pharmacists and to ensure everyone who requires medicines under the State drugs schemes can continue to access them, though it acknowledged some people may have to travel further for their medicines as a result of the dispute.
It said it already has plans to set up HSE-operated pharmacies at St Patrick’s Hospital, Summerhill, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim; Áras Naomh Chaolain, Knock Road, Castlerea, Co Roscommon; Donegal Community Hospital, Donegal Town; Dungloe Community Hospital, Dungloe, Co Donegal; Carndonagh Community Hospital, Convent Road, Carndonagh, Co Donegal; Falcarragh Community Hospital, Falcarragh, Co Donegal; St Mary’s Hospital, Castlebar, Co Mayo; Mercy Road, Ballina, Co Mayo; Áras Deirbhle, Belmullet, Co Mayo; Cherryfield House, Coolgrane, Killarney, Co Kerry; 19 Denny Street, Tralee, Co Kerry; and Listowel Community Hospital, Listowel, Co Kerry.
In a statement it said these pharmacies represent “Phase 1 of the HSE Pharmacy Contingency Programme” and that additional pharmacies may be added as more information becomes available on the existing pharmacies that will be withdrawing service. A spokeswoman said the numbers withdrawing were constantly changing. “We have had some who were going to withdraw but changed their mind,” she said.
The HSE added that arrangements are also being made to enable hospitals to dispense more drugs than usual.
The HSE’s chief pharmacist Kate Mulvenna said: “It will not be possible to replace every pharmacy which withdraws service on a like-for-like basis so patients and clients may have to travel further than normal to have their prescription filled. We would encourage family, friends and neighbours to assist vulnerable people who may have transport difficulties to secure their medication.”
The IPU said it had grave concerns about the HSE’s contingency plan.
A spokesman said what had been dubbed phase one of the contingency plan was totally inadequate in terms of meeting the medicine needs of patients.
It added that it wrote to the Minister for Health Mary Harney over three weeks ago seeking to resolve the matter but she had not responded.
Ms Harney has said the cutting of payments to pharmacists aims to save €55 million this year and €133 million in a full year and she has urged Fianna Fáil backbenchers to support the plan which is provided for under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009.
Pharmacists are expected to challenge the move in the courts.