Pharmacists tonight called on the Health Service Executive (HSE) to “stop wasting taxpayers’ money” on court actions against those threatening to stop distributing medicines.
The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) also said the HSE was adopting a confrontational approach and was attempting to intimidate pharmacists
The HSE said on Friday it would take legal action against individual pharmacists if they did not commit to dispensing medicines to patients under community drug schemes.
Pharmacists and the HSE have been engaged in a bitter row over reimbursement for the distribution of drugs. Under a new system introduced in March, the HSE has reduced the margin paid to pharmaceutical wholesalers from 17 per cent to 8 per cent in a bid to save €100 million. As it has no direct relationship with wholesalers, to achieve its aim the HSE has reduced the reimbursement it pays to pharmacists for drugs and medicines.
The new pricing arrangements were introduced at the beginning of March, but pharmacists have only begun receiving payments for that month in the last day or so.
In a statement on Friday the HSE said it had "begun writing to a number of pharmacists" warning that it would seek injunctions against pharmacists who do not provide assurance they will continue to co-operate in the scheme as well as the medical card scheme. It said the it was taking the action in the interests of patient safety.
But the IPU said this evening it was clear the HSE is “now realising that the community drug schemes are in danger of collapse from next week as a result of their arrogance and mismanagement and they have no workable contingency plan”.
“It is incredible that HSE management is focusing at this point in time on trying to intimidate individual pharmacists with legal proceedings rather than trying to find a resolution to the issue,” an IPU statement said.
“The HSE must stop this confrontational approach and honour pharmacists' existing contract and stop wasting taxpayers money on court actions."
The HSE contends that each pharmacist is required to provide the HSE with three months notice if they wish to terminate their contract.
In a letter to Oireachtas members yesterday the IPU said that over 660 pharmacies had now written to the HSE stating that they were either withdrawing or considering withdrawing from their contract with the HSE for the provision of medicines under the community drug schemes.
