Senior Citizens Parliament welcomes ending of Pharmacy Dispute

The Irish Senior Citizens’ Parliament has welcomed the ending of the 11-day dispute between pharmacists and the Health Service Executive over cuts in fees for dispensing state drugs.

Speaking following the announcement of the resumption of normal pharmacy service, Máiréad Hayes, CEO of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament stated that “the pharmacy dispute meant that older people faced the stress of additional travel and waiting times to obtain a regular supply of medicine. These vulnerable people felt caught in a crossfire between the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) on one side and the HSE and the Government on the other.”

The ending of the dispute means an end to queuing by older people and allows those who have friends and families with them in this holiday month to enjoy it without the worry of having to travel and queue to get much needed medication.

The ISCP recognizes that the cost of dispensing prescription drugs must be reduced and also that family pharmacies have the right to an adequate income. However older people suffered in the dispute and its ending is a victory for common sense.