asked the Minister for Defence the reason the facilities afforded to members of the Defence Forces in relation to the free supply of drugs on medical prescription cannot be availed of in ordinary retail pharmacies but can only be dispensed at designated pharmacies in Army barracks.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Drugs for Army Personnel.
26.
When a member of the Permanent Defence Force living a long distance from a military post is attended to by a civilian doctor, medicines prescribed by the doctor may be obtained at any retail pharmacy.
In the case of long-term continuing treatment or repeat prescriptions, the member is expected, in the interests of economy, to obtain his medication from Army sources.
What does the Minister regard as being a long distance from a post?
I presume members of the Defence Forces would normally report sick in barracks. If their home is in the neighbourhood of a barracks they are attended to by Army medical officers. Where the officers concerned consider that that distance is beyond their capacity to give them personal attention, sick members would then deal with a civilian doctor. I suppose it differs from place to place. Probably something like 20 miles —but that is just a throwaway figure that might differ from place to place.
It is not so much the question of the doctors with which I am concerned as the requirement for members of the forces to go to the post pharmacy. Would the Minister agree that there are many cases — particularly where a member of the Defence Forces may be unable to travel and whose wife or husband must then go to the pharmacy to get the medication required — where this constitutes an imposition on those members not imposed on other members of the public? Would the Minister agree further that where a prescription is issued in the normal course of events and vouched for by the medical doctor at the post, that could be accepted in the same way as an ordinary health service prescription by an ordinary chemist?
I think the Deputy's worries are dealt with here: where the member is a distance away so that the ordinary military doctor cannot deal with his problem, then he can be attended by a civilian doctor and the medicines prescribed can be obtained in the local retail pharmacy. But when his problem requires a prescription and long-term treatment, at that stage the member is expected to obtain his medication from Army sources.
I have asked the Minister but he does not appear to have the information in regard to what is regarded as being a long distance. Perhaps the Minister would come back to me on that question.
The second question which arises is in relation to the supply of drugs for members of the Defence Forces who suffer from long-term illnesses and who may from time to time be unable to travel to the post because of that very long-term illness. Would the Minister not agree that there is a case in circumstances like that for allowing them to apply to the local pharmacy for medicines instead of allowing them to go to the post? Would the Minister indicate what economy is being secured by this particular provision?
The economies are pretty considerable. In 1981 medicines supplied to the Defence Forces by retail pharmacies amounted to £12,200. A sum of £11,600 was in direct payment to chemists and £600 of that was in refunds to personnel. Because of the Department's capacity to bulk buy and also because of the fact that a retail pharmacist is entitled to charge a dispensing fee there are price differences and buying of medicines from Army stocks is much more feasible than getting them from retail pharmacists.
I am sure the Chair will forgive me if I say I am sceptical about that reply. If the economies exist would the Minister undertake to inform his colleague the Minister for Health of the advantages of bulk buying in this respect so that we can get those kind of economies in the general medical service?
Seeing that the Deputy casts aspersions on small things the Lord said that we fall little by little. The Deputy is aware of how he fell. If the Deputy has a particular case, rather than dealing with hypothetical situations, and he wishes it to be pursued I will willingly take it up with him.
Will the Minister be as flexible as possible in this respect and will he show a good deal of compassion towards those people?
I believe the attitude of the Department is compassionate.
The remaining Questions will appear on next Tuesday's Order Paper.
I would like to raise on the Adjournment the question of the dispute at the Office of Public Works in Inchicore regarding payments. Is it possible to raise that on the Adjournment this evening?
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
I would like to submit another matter to you for raising on the Adjournment. I am sorry I have to return to it again. It is the question of the problem in relation to the increase in fees at Maynooth College. I would like to raise the matter on the Adjournment in order to ask the Minister for Education what measures are open to him to get over the particular problem which has arisen there, which must be settled by the trustees of the college next month? This problem is peculiar to that college and does not apply to other university institutions.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
On the Order of Business this morning I asked the Taoiseach to comment on statements made yesterday in Cork by the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment but the Taoiseach did not comment. I submitted a Private Notice Question to you asking the Taoiseach to clarify the whole matter because of the conflicting statements by him, the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and the Minister of State at the Department of Fisheries and Forestry and you disallowed my question. I would like to know what action I can take now to get some information.
The Deputy can put it down as an ordinary question. It did not qualify on the basis of urgency.
If I put it down in the form of an ordinary question I will perhaps have to wait for an answer for six weeks.
The Deputy can take a written answer and then he can take steps.
At this stage I would like to ask your permission to raise it on the Adjournment.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.
I wish to have written replies to Questions Nos. 221, 222 and 224.