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Health chiefs in Ireland have warned chemists they could face court action if they fail to adhere to State contracts.
Chemists across the country have closed or stopped providing drugs to medical card holders in protest against the Government over the payment of fees.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has written to a small number of pharmacies, which have closed or are refusing to fill prescriptions under State drug schemes, informing them they could be forced to dispense prescriptions again through High Court injunctions.
Patrick Burke, head of the HSE’s primary care reimbursement scheme, said: “If we do not receive a satisfactory response we will have no other option than to seek to enforce our legal rights on behalf of taxpayers through the courts.”
He also warned that they would seek any costs associated if it was forced to take legal action.
HSE figures suggest almost 500, a quarter of all chemists, have withdrawn from the State scheme, in protest of unacceptable and dangerous workloads, which they fear could lead to dispensing errors.
Copyright Press Association 2009
