Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to have the opportunity to raise this important matter. I, and I am sure most Deputies, have had recent discussions with their community pharmacies, particularly over the weekend. I have been inundated with phone calls, emails and letters, and I have some of them with me. I intend to pass them on to the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, at the earliest possible convenience.

Alarm bells have been sounded as a result of the recent proposal by the Department of Health that outlined changes to pharmacy fees to commence next year. It has been calculated that the cuts will result in a reduction in income of at least €12,000 per annum if the proposals for changes to the dispensing fee per item, the reduction of the number of items paid at €5, and the abolition of high-tech patient care fees are imposed in January.

This is the polar opposite of what was expected by the Irish Pharmacy Union, IPU, and pharmacy owners. They believed that, rather than the imposition of additional cuts, the cuts imposed under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest, FEMPI, Acts would be unwound.

Concerns have been raised with me about the impact on rural, isolated, disadvantaged communities and independent pharmacies. That impact will be disproportionate on those in large population centres. Concerns have also been raised about the sustainability of community pharmacies where margins are as low as 4%. Some believe that they will not survive, especially with no alternative funding stream identified. One cannot but support their assessment of the situation. Curtailing services to patients will cause significant issues for GPs, hospitals and the HSE. The pharmacy is often the first port of call for patients and they retain a high level of trust with the public.

Pharmacists are mystified as to how this proposal has come about. During our period of financial austerity, they took the required cuts in the national interest. I am told that they are the only profession not to have had fee restoration. Increased investment, not cuts, was expected at this stage, especially in light of Sláintecare. A new pharmacy contract and investment in improved pharmacy services to benefit our people were expected.

There are 2,300 community pharmacies across the country. In my county of Offaly, 29 pharmacies are providing support for over 800,000 patient visits, with more than 250 jobs required to do so. I understand that the Minister, Deputy Harris, has prioritised a meeting with the IPU this week. I ask the Minister of State to convey to him how urgent it is to find a solution to this matter, which is causing unnecessary worry for pharmacists across the country and their staff. It is crucial that negotiations be entered into in 2020 as expected and in good faith.

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