Several hours of talks aimed at trying to resolve the current row between the Health Service Executive and pharmacists took place on Tuesday, it has emerged.
The bilateral talks between the HSE and the Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU) were chaired by Bill Shipsey SC, who put forward a number of proposals aimed at ending the increasingly bitter row between the parties.
However, it is understood the HSE decided on Wednesday it would not agree to any of the proposals until the 140 pharmacists in the Dublin and Wicklow areas who have stopped dispensing methadone to around 3,000 recovering drug addicts called off their protest.
The pharmacists, however, could not be instructed by the IPU to call off their protest as they are meant to have decided individually to have begun the protest so as to avoid breaches of competition law.
Nonetheless, the pharmacists involved in the protest are still the subject of a Competition Authority inquiry and a number of them have been served with summonses to appear before it next week. Some pharmacists involved in the protest have also been the subject of complaints to their regulatory body, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), by the HSE.
The PSI has written to the pharmacists concerned for their observations. Pharmacists can face a range of sanctions if the PSI finds them in breach of their code of standards. But there isn't yet a full fitness to practise regime in place for pharmacists
Minister for Health Mary Harney referred to Mr Shipsey's involvement in the talks in the Dáil yesterday. "I hope that through this process we can reach agreement on some of the issues involved," she said. No further talks were planned between the sides last night.
The pharmacists are in dispute with the HSE over its decision to cut the mark-up paid to wholesalers for drugs which are then dispensed by pharmacists under the medical card scheme. They claim this will make the dispensing of drugs by them to medical card holders a loss-making exercise. The HSE claims this is not the case but one of the wholesalers involved, UniPhar, said yesterday this effectively was the case. It said some pharmacies would be reimbursed by the HSE at less than the wholesale price of drugs from December 1st. "UniPhar has, during discussions with the HSE, explained that such a reduction in the reimbursement price will close hundreds of pharmacies," it said.
The HSE rejected this. It said when it met UniPhar the company confirmed to it that no pharmacist would be supplied with medicines at a cost higher than the amount reimbursed to them by the HSE.
Meanwhile, the pharmacists are also angry that the HSE will not discuss the fees they get paid with their representative body, the IPU. The HSE claims to do so would be in breach of competition law. The Irish Dental Association, which faces a similar dilemma in trying to negotiate with the HSE, came out in support of the pharmacists yesterday.