Medical Card holders to face 100-mile journey for prescriptions

Medical card holders face 100 mile journey for prescriptions


Anton McNulty

A STAND off between the Minister for Health and the Irish Pharmacy Union could see some medical card holders in Mayo facing a 100 mile round journey for their prescriptions after the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) confirmed that 98 per cent of Mayo Pharmacies will withdraw from the Community Drug Scheme.
From this Saturday August 1, 98 per cent of Mayo Pharmacies will be withdrawing from dispensing medicines to medical card holders and those on other community drugs schemes, over the decision to cut their payments by 34 per cent, which they say will result in the closure of 400 pharmacies and the loss of over 5,000 jobs.
In Mayo, some patients will face a return journey of up to 100 miles to collect prescriptions from the county’s three designated collection points; St Mary’s Hospital, Castlebar, Ballina District Hospital and Belmullet District Hospital.
Achill based Pharmacist Noel Stenson told The Mayo News that the Minister for Health, Mary Harney was not engaging with pharmacists and was getting her own back at Pharmacists after the High Court found the HSE were in breach of contract.
“Under the Financial Emergency Measures Act we were informed that healthcare fees would be reduced and GP’s and dentists took a eight per cent cut. Pharmacist’s were expecting the same but we had 34 per cent taken off which is unjustified and call it what you want but she is coming back at us for what we did to her last year. She is not giving us the time of day and under this draconian legislation the Minister has carte blanche on what to do and this time she has her say. At the moment, the Minister is not for turning,” she said.
Noel said that 95 per cent of this patients in Achill were medical card holders but reassured vulnerable patients that he would look after them. He added that he did not wish to see patients having to take the journey but have been forced into this situation by the Minister.
“Pharmacists are very passionate about this and we will not take it. It sound awful but this is a stand off with the Minister and we are waiting to see who will blink first,” he said.