asked the Minister for Health if, in order to avoid hardship, special arrangements can be made for dispensary patients to have their prescriptions dispensed at retail pharmacies in view of the decision of the Hospital Pharmacists Association to withdraw their services today.
Private Notice Question: - Dispensary Pharmacy Services.
andMr. P. Belton asked the Minister for Health whether, in view of the danger to life, particularly in the large housing estate areas, arising from the disruption of the dispensary pharmacy services and the serious effect of the interruption of supply on the chronically ill, such as epileptics, he will take urgent action to ensure the restoration of full services.
Special arrangements have been made to ensure as far as possible that medical card holders and their dependants and other Health Act patients for whom district medical officers prescribe receive their medicines.
Will the Minister state what these special arrangements are and will they take effect immediately?
They have taken effect immediately. The health authority have advised the district medical officers to prescribe in the normal way and the home assistance officers supply holders of these prescriptions with formal orders on retail chemists.
Can we be assured——
Is the Minister aware that in certain dispensaries in large housing estates today patients queueing to see the assistance officer to get the authorisation to go to retail chemists collapsed from fatigue because of the long wait which in one particular case was for four hours? What type of alternative arrangement is that in the Minister's opinion?
That is a matter for the Dublin Health Authority and I hope they will carry out their decision properly and efficiently.
The Minister cannot throw over all responsibility to the health authority. It is the Minister's responsibility. This is the fourth medical group to go on strike since the Minister took over control of this Department.
It is the responsibility of the Dublin Health Authority.
Might I suggest that, perhaps, the dispensary doctor's prescription, if this were announced properly, would be accepted by local retail chemists to avoid queues.
I will draw the attention of the Dublin Health Authority to what the Deputy says.