HSE Pharmacy Strike (1 Viewer)

[dleacht]

What do people think?

It's a real pain at the moment, one friend is real sick and had to drive to Drogheda for her prescription from Swords as that was the nearest pharmacy that'd take it. Two days is all she got at that. We just went to seven pharmacies and nothing except queues and refussals. I understand why they aren't taking medical cards (I'm not saying I agree /disagree, I just know what the argument is) but why are they not taking customers paying for prescriptions?

 

[ann post]

i cant say i fully understand it at all, i'm off meds for a while, but am bricking it in case i have an emergency of any sort. been hearing on the radio that they are setting up various rural outlet centres, which i dont know anything about. i might go and try and get something today and see what they say.

thinking about it though, i can see places like boots being able to weather this, and local operators having difficulty or going bust. its very well timed with the swine flu press office constantly saying that the shit will hit the fan in September when the schools and colleges go back.

 

[magicbastarder]

i've heard various figures bandied about, but one which caught my eye was someone from the HSE claiming that the costs to the HSE (charged by pharmacies) has risen by nearly 50% since 2003 (or thereabouts).
this official then claimed that a 34% reduction in the pay to the pharmacies would still leave them better off than in 2003.

if this is the level of mathematical understanding in the HSE, i'm not surprised the organisation is in the state its in.

 

[dleacht]

I just think its demonstrating how reliant we all are on drugs these days. I've a wisdom tooth infection, can't get my prescription for anti biotics cos nooone will take it. soooooooooo painful

 

[Thebeard]

Well i think people had enough time to stock up on their meds in fairness, it's only for a few days and most pharmacies have a pharmicist there for an emergancy so they can give out the meds if necessay.

 

[nooleen]

yeah, shape up, sickos

 

[broken arm]

i may aswell point out that am totally biased on this because I have a family member that works in a pharmacy (not a fully trained phamrmacist etc) and they are on protective notice and may lose their job because of the protest. They fully support the protest but will be in the shit if they lose their job.

the way I see it is that the government tried to reduce costs by first going to the pharmaceutical industry to ask them to reduce costs. they were told to piss off and because the industry is a big lobby/empoyer the government backed down.

the government then went to the wholesalers. they also told the government to piss off. they are a big lobby and the government backed down.

the government then went to the pharmacists and knew they had exausted all their other options and decided to play hard-ball.

the options they gave them would put many small pharmacies out of business. the pharmacies gave lots of options to recoup costs/make savings (i.e. charging for consultancy services) in other areas but the government wouldn't listen.

 

[broken arm]

Well i think people had enough time to stock up on their meds in fairness, it's only for a few days and most pharmacies have a pharmicist there for an emergancy so they can give out the meds if necessay.

yea but it's a bit more difficult than that as can be seen by this letter in today's Times

Madam, – Our first patient on Saturday morning, the first day of the pharmacy strike, was a quiet, timid man. He had a prescription for his elderly mother. He was told that there was only one pharmacy in Waterford city which could dispense his prescription. He was totally bewildered, frightened and confused. He had never heard of Boots, and despite having lived in Waterford city all his life, didn’t know where it was located.


The second patient returned to us from that pharmacy. She told us they wouldn’t have any of her medication for treating depression for four days. She was in tears.


The next, a frail lady of over 80 years, on heart and blood pressure medication, mumbled something about trying to do without until the dispute was over. And so it went all day.
Shame on Minister for Health Mary Harney for holding the elderly, sick and vulnerable of this country to ransom. One phone call to the pharmacists, who are willing to take fair cuts and help implement savings over and above what she is seeking, would end this strike. – Yours, etc,
MARGARET HALLEY,
Marlfield,
Clonmel, Co Tipperary.

 

[Thebeard]

i may aswell point out that am totally biased on this because I have a family member that works in a pharmacy (not a fully trained phamrmacist etc) and they are on protective notice and may lose their job because of the protest. They fully support the protest but will be in the shit if they lose their job.

the way I see it is that the government tried to reduce costs by first going to the pharmaceutical industry to ask them to reduce costs. they were told to piss off and because the industry is a big lobby/empoyer the government backed down.

the government then went to the wholesalers. they also told the government to piss off. they are a big lobby and the government backed down.

the government then went to the pharmacists and knew they had exausted all their other options and decided to play hard-ball.

the options they gave them would put many small pharmacies out of business. the pharmacies gave lots of options to recoup costs/make savings (i.e. charging for consultancy services) in other areas but the government wouldn't listen.

I'd have to agree with you there barm. My missus is a Pharmacist Technician and that's pretty much how she put it to me, although i don't think her job is in too much danger other shops in her chain have closed.

 

[Thebeard]

yea but it's a bit more difficult than that as can be seen by this letter in today's Times

That's fair enough and unfortunate but no matter what this was bound to happen. I think the pharmacies have dealt with the strike pretty good so far. IMO.

 

[magicbastarder]

what are the pharmacies paid for?
does the HSE pay for the drugs and also pay for the pharmacies to distribute them, or do the pharmacies pay for the drugs, and then claim the money back from the HSE?

 

[ratmonkey]

i've heard various figures bandied about, but one which caught my eye was someone from the HSE claiming that the costs to the HSE (charged by pharmacies) has risen by nearly 50% since 2003 (or thereabouts).
this official then claimed that a 34% reduction in the pay to the pharmacies would still leave them better off than in 2003.

if this is the level of mathematical understanding in the HSE, i'm not surprised the organisation is in the state its in.

You want to think that one over again? Nothing wrong with that approximation at all, if you take better off to mean exactly the same.

 

[ratmonkey]

what are the pharmacies paid for?
does the HSE pay for the drugs and also pay for the pharmacies to distribute them, or do the pharmacies pay for the drugs, and then claim the money back from the HSE?

That's the way of it.

 

[therealjohnny]

Discussing this on Radio1 now

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[IFF]

Mid-Louth is without a pharmacy opened. Neither Ardee or Dunleer pharmacies are open. so people from here would have to go to Dundalk or Drogheda for precriptions. it's tough especially for people who don't drive.

i was unreceptive to prescriptions the last few times so last time i saw my docotr about my tinnitus (with a buzz in my ear, for the last 18 months), he said that he would only prescribe something if i wanted it, so i turned him down at the offer.

did i make a coherent point here?

 

[IFF]

That's the way of it.

i think they pay for pharmaceutical wholesalers for it one month afterwards and then two months after that, the HSE pay them. so there would be a 3 month delay from dispensing the prescriptions and getting paid for them.

 

[magicbastarder]

You want to think that one over again? Nothing wrong with that approximation at all, if you take better off to mean exactly the same.

the clear implication of the HSE official was that they'd still be 16% better off.

 

[pete]

1+50%=1.5
1.5-34%=.99

 

[ann post]

its like theres a drought on, except way worse.

 

[nlgbbbblth]

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