Long delays on first day of new prescription measures

Patients waiting 45 minutes for medicine - IPU


Pharmacist claims HSE contingency plan has collapsed

Anton McNulty

PATIENTS are waiting up to 45 minutes for a basic prescription from the HSE contingency dispensary at St Mary’s Hospital in Castlebar according to the Irish Pharmacy Union who claim that only one pharmacist is manning the dispensary for half of the county.
On Saturday, all bar four pharmacies in Mayo withdrew from their contract with the HSE to dispense medicines to medical card holders and those on other community drugs schemes. The HSE had three contingency dispensaries located in the county; in St Mary’s Hospital, Castlebar, Ballina District Hospital and Belmullet District Hospital - but only the dispensaries in Belmullet and Castlebar were opened on Saturday. The dispensary in Ballina is not expected to be open until tomorrow (Wednesday).
The lack of supplies and waiting lists of 45 minutes were evident in St Mary’s Hospital and the HSE and the Minister for Health, Mary Harney have been accused by the IPU of treating the patients of Mayo with contempt and are merely paying lip service to the concept of a contingency.
Achill Pharmacists, Noel Stenson said the contingency plan had collapsed and asked that if these contingency dispensaries could not cope with the ‘Saturday morning Graveyard shift’ how would  they cope during the week.
He said they were using newly qualified staff and problems included patients were being told to come back during the week in the hope supplies will be available, staff have little information regarding stocks and re-stocking and the IT systems were failing.
“All of this on what is typically considered the Saturday morning Graveyard shift in most community pharmacies as surgeries are closed – what will happen on Tuesday when normal surgery hours resume?” he asked.
“The HSE promised the public a contingency plan and still insist they have – as usual all the HSE has done is pay lip service to the idea of a proper contingency plan and has shown the usual levels of incompetence and a complete misunderstanding of what community pharmacies do. How long before we shout stop – will it take a patient hospitalised through HSE inadequate planning or, worse, a fatality.”
During the week, the HSE listed the pharmacies that continue to dispense medicines to patients and clients under the Medical Card and other State Drugs Schemes. However, according to John O’Mahony TD 16 out of the 19 pharmacies listed are not in the drugs scheme.
“How could the HSE get it so wrong that 16 of the 19 pharmacies in Mayo they claim are dispensing drugs under the scheme are not actually doing so? It doesn't inspire confidence at all if the HSE is getting basic stuff like this wrong. What else are they getting wrong? It is hard to be confident with them.
“Mayo is a huge county and the distances some people will be asked to travel now are just crazy. While I welcome the three special centres added there needs to be more. There has been a lack of consultation with pharmacists by the Minister for Health. Pharmacists have suggested ways that some cuts could be made and they deserve to be consulted,” he said.