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Story: Inishowen Independent
INISHOWEN'S 12 pharmacy
outlets will withdraw from all HSE-backed drugs
schemes on Thursday with the result that all medical
cards holders, people on long-term illness drugs
schemes and those availing of the drugs refund
scheme will have to pay the full market price for
their drugs.
“Our advice to patients is to ensure that they have
enough medication to get through the next couple of
weeks,” said Liam Grimley of Tierney’s Pharmacy in
Buncrana. “We don’t want patients to get ill and
we’ve been doubling prescriptions to our regular
clients in recent weeks.”
“We don’t want to charge patients for what they’re
entitled to for free, but we need the HSE to
reimburse us for what we pay for the drugs,” Mr
Grimley said. Under a system introduced by the HSE
in March, the margin paid to pharmaceutical
wholesalers was reduced from 17% to 8%.
Pharmacists are also unhappy with a new deal
proposed by the HSE that allows the HSE to amend
their contracts with only three months notice.
Talks between the HSE and the Irish Pharmacy Union
yesterday – the first the HSE acceded to since last
December – were described as constructive and both
sides are to have further contacts in the coming
days.
“At last, it seems as if the politicians are finally
taking this seriously and bring pressure to bear,”
Mr Grimley concluded.
A High Court injunction taken by the HSE against
nine community pharmacy contractors, including two
in Donegal, to force them to continue dispensing
drugs under the schemes has been postponed until
Thursday. |
