Vol. 259 No. 12
asked the Minister for Health what consultations, if any, took place between the Eastern Health Board and the clinical directors of the psychiatric services council on the question of transferring pharmacy services from the health centres and dispensaries to private chemists.
6.
asked the Minister for Health whether prescriptions issued by psychiatrists at psychiatric clinics will be made available at hospital pharmacies or at private chemists.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together.
These are matters primarily for the Eastern Health Board to which the Deputy might more appropriately address his inquiries. It is understood that existing arrangements for the supply of drugs will continue at least until the 31st instant.
Does the Minister not propose to accept any further responsibility in relation to decisions of this kind?
From now on these are decisions between the health boards and the staff.
Is that the position from now on?
There always have been consultations with the Department.
Could I ask the Minister, in the special circumstances of this type of illness, to give special consideration to the fact that one is dealing with a particularly complicated illness in which is is very difficult to get a patient to come to hospital. If there is the need to come to hospital and then to go off to a chemist one tends to lose the patient. In view of the special circumstances of the illness, would the Minister give reconsideration to the whole idea of giving a prescription and then expecting the patient to go off to a chemist's shop?
I think that there should be special arrangements for these patients. They will be made.
There are special arrangements in operation at the moment. We wish to ensure that there will be a continuation of such arrangements.
Arrangements will have to be on a different basis. The arrangements with the chemists themselves are being terminated at the end of this month. Perhaps one or more will be kept on specifically for psychiatric patients.
I was thinking of the arrangements between the health boards and the chemists, wishing to ensure that the psychiatric patients would get their drugs. Perhaps they will not get them as heretofore.
The arrangements with the chemists themselves are being discontinued at the end of the month. There will be special arrangements for psychiatric patients.
