THE HEALTH Service Executive incurred costs of almost €4 million while providing temporary drug-dispensing services during the 12-day pharmacists’ dispute earlier this year.
Official figures obtained by The Irish Timesshow the HSE was forced to spend some €3.85 million, an average of €320,000 a day, providing cover at nine contingency pharmacies it operated in the west and southwest of the country from August 1st-12th.
More than €1.97 million was spent stocking the temporary pharmacies with drugs and medicines and a further €730,702 went on staffing the facilities.
The dispute between the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) and Minister for Health Mary Harney centred on a Government move to reduce payments to pharmacists by about €133 million annually. Pharmacists received €421 million in fees and mark-up last year.
Hundreds of community pharmacists withdrew from State community drug schemes, such as the medical card and drug payment, in protest at the plans, resulting in many pharmacies remaining closed for almost two weeks.
The HSE, in response, set up the nine contingency pharmacies in areas “where there was a high risk of the public having difficulty accessing medicines”. Three were established in Co Donegal and Co Kerry, two in Co Mayo and one in Castlerea in Co Roscommon.
The HSE figures show €226,967 was spent on security and security personnel at the facilities. The HSE maintained that, in some of the temporary dispensing sites, its staff had been subjected to intimidation by community pharmacy contractors. The IPU said the complaint was “a distraction” to move attention away from failings in the contingency plans.
The HSE figures also show €256,545 was spent on information technology equipment such as computers, printers and modems for the dispensaries, while a further €147,148 went on fridges for certain drugs, weighing scales and balances. Much of the equipment has been distributed to hospitals since, the HSE said.
The fitting-out of the sites cost €200,161 and communications such as press adverts advising the public where to access medicines came to €255,045. A total of €48,000 was spent registering the nine dispensaries with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, and €7,632 went towards buying pharmaceutical reference books.
