Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin has referred new proposals for the regulation of pharmacists and pharmacies drawn up by Minister for Health Mary Harney to the Competition Authority.
Ms Harney circulated proposals for reform of the pharmacy sector to other Government Departments in recent weeks.
It is understood that the reform proposals circulated by Ms Harney are largely based on the recommendations of the Pharmacy Review Group, which ironically was established by Mr Martin when he was minister for health.
Included are proposals to end a controversial derogation from an EU directive which effectively bans pharmacists, including Irish citizens, who graduated outside of Ireland from opening a new pharmacy or operating an outlet that is less than three years old.
The Pharmacy Review Group recommended that no commercial group should own more than 8 per cent of pharmacies in one health board area. However, it is believed within Government that there could be legal difficulties with this proposal.
After studying the reform proposals drawn up by the Department of Health, the Department of Enterprise and Employment concluded that there were competition issues involved that needed to be looked at further.
The Department of Enterprise and Employment subsequently referred the pharmacy reform proposals to the Competition Authority.
However the Department of Enterprise and Employment broadly supports many of the proposals on the basis that they would promote competition.
There have been reports of tensions between the Mr Martin and Ms Harney in the wake of her commissioning of the Travers report into the nursing home charges controversy. However, sources close to both Ministers have denied that there are any difficulties between the two.
The Pharmaceutical Society has been calling on the Government to replace legislation which it says is outdated.
