Dublin pharmacies stop supplying methadone (Irl)

[Abrad]

www.rte.ie
Over 140 pharmacies are pulling out of the HSE's methadone protocol from today.

The Health Service Executive says up to 3,000 former heroin users who receive a methadone substitute from their pharmacy are to be affected.

The action, by a significant number of independent pharmacists, is the result of an ongoing row between pharmacists and the HSE over the executive's plan to cut the wholesale price of medicine.

The HSE says the new arrangements will slash an estimated €100m off the State's drugs bill next year, but pharmacists say it will result in them having to dispense medicine to public patients at a loss and put their businesses at risk.

As a result of the pharmacists' action, former heroin users who had been receiving methadone from a chemist are being told to attend a drugs clinic instead.

The HSE says all clients affected have been contacted and emergency methadone services are being provided at 11 sites.

Information about the contingency arrangements is available on the HSE's Drug Helpline (1800 459 459).

The action is mainly confined to Dublin but the HSE says it is monitoring the situation nationwide.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Impotant information for some; you beat me to it.

[Lunar Loops]

This from the Health Service Executive (Ireland) website:
HSE calls on Pharmacists to restore services to methadone patients


15th October 2007


he HSE today once more pointed out there was no justification for the actions taken by some pharmacists following the HSE’s recent reforms of wholesale drug prices.

Up to 140 pharmacists have withdrawn services from approximately 3,000 patients as a form of protest.

With regards to the Pharmacists’ concerns about the reform of wholesale prices, the HSE recently met with each of the wholesalers involved. Following that meeting, in response to the HSE’s request for clarification, wholesalers have individually committed to ensuring that the net monthly cost for pharmacists of reimbursable products will not be greater than the amount reimbursed by the HSE.

In other words, no retail pharmacist will be out of pocket following the reforms.

With regards to the Irish Pharmaceutical Union’s (IPU) call for the HSE to engage in direct negotiations regarding dispensing fees, the IPU, as a collection of business undertakings, is precluded under the Competitions Act 2002 from negotiating fees or fee-related matters with the HSE. Therefore the HSE is not in a position to negotiate directly with the IPU regarding such matters.

The HSE greatly appreciates the work of community pharmacists and remains fully committed to working with them to improve such services.

Pat O’ Dowd, Assistant National Director, HSE, however emphasised “the only result from the actions taken by pharmacists with regards to the methadone protocol, will be to cause needless suffering and upset to a group of vulnerable people who are trying to get their lives back on track. Even at this stage, for the sake of our patients and the reputation of pharmacists everywhere, I would call on those pharmacists who are protesting to rethink their current strategy.”

[Abrad]

Seems there are plans to escalate the protest. From December 2nd pharmacists plan to stop accepting the Medical Card, Long Term Illness and Drug Payment Schemes.

[English_T]

Bunch of Tossers, and fucking inhumane too - they didn't have to actually do this, just the threat of such an action would have been enough. Wankers , don't give a fuck as to them it just a load of useless junkies (which most of them are...but there are some genuinely decent people amongst them, too)....Was it throughout Ireland?

[Abrad]

Just Dublin. Worth noting is that the HSE made provisions for methadone users to receive their prescriptions at clinics.

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Rep for additions to the multimedia archive, much appreciated.