Liam Burke
Question:6 Mr. L. Burke asked the Minister for Health if he will review the dispensing policy applied to rural general practitioners.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - General Practitioners' Dispensing Policy.
Phil Hogan
Question:54 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Health if he will review the dispensing policy applied to rural general practitioners.
Alan M. Dukes
Question:87 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for Health if he will review the dispensing policy applied to rural general practitioners.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 54 and 87 together.
The objective of the current arrangements under the general medical services scheme is to ensure that medical card patients in certain rural areas, who do not have ready access to a community pharmacy, are supplied with necessary prescribed medication by their local general practitioner. While I am satisfied that this objective is being met effectively, I am prepared to consider proposals for improving this service, if they are in line with current pay policy and the November 1992 GMS agreement reached with the Irish Medical Organisation and the Irish College of General Practitioners.
Will the Minister indicate whether he has had any recent discussions with representatives of GPs on this matter? If so, is he willing to proceed along the lines he indicated given the position that he correctly outlined in relation to rural areas?
Lest the wrong impression be taken from my reply, I am satisfied with the service but I will listen to any proposals to improve it if they are in line with Government pay policy generally and the agreements my Department reached with the representative organisations of general practitioners. On the specific question the Deputy posed, no formal review proposals have been submitted to my Department but I understand that the IMO has prepared a submission and I will examine that when it arrives.