Pharmacists have described today’s talks with the Health Service Executive (HSE) on the ongoing row over the distribution of medicine as “constructive”.
In a brief statement this afternoon the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) said there would be further contact between the sides over the next 24 hours.
Pharmacists last week called on the HSE to “stop wasting taxpayers’ money” on court actions against those threatening to stop distributing medicines. The IPU also said the HSE was adopting a confrontational approach and was attempting to intimidate pharmacists
The HSE has initiated legal action against individual pharmacists threatening to dispense 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 last week.
