Vol. 513 No. 1
458 Mr. D. Carey asked the Minister for Health and Children the special list of pharmacies, if any, which distribute drugs to the General Medical Services; the criteria for qualification; and the number of new entrants in 1998 and 1999 in the North-Western Health Board area. [1653/00]
Medical card patients may obtain medicines on a prescription from community pharmacies which are the subject of a community pharmacy contractor agreement with a health board. There are in the region of 1,200 such community pharmacies throughout the country. A full list has been forwarded to the Deputy for his information. Applications for a community pharmacy contractor agreement are made to the chief executive officer of the relevant health board under the Health (Community Pharmacy Contractor Agreement) Regulations, 1996, which specify the criteria and procedures under which the chief executive officer shall determine the issue of new community pharmacy contractor agreements.
I have asked the chief executive officer of the North-Western Health Board to respond to the Deputy directly with regard to new community pharmacy contractor agreements in that health board area in 1998 and 1999.
