One in 10 community pharmacies are in danger of closure due to lack of funds, according to the Irish Pharmacy Union.
It is accusing the Department of Health of ignoring community pharmacies and refusing to engage over a review of their funding.
The IPU said Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is leaving 1,900 community pharmacies “in the dark” over funding, risking their ability to provide prescriptions and health advice.
It said they've endured a 15 year pay-freeze at the hands of the Government.
IPU General Secretary Derek Reilly said costs of running a pharmacy have increased dramatically - but the fees they receive are lower now than they were in 2009.
The Minister is legally obliged to review the funding model for pharmacies by the end of this month.
“Our members are completely losing faith,” he said. “We have worked with the Department of Health over the last number of years... and they were statutory obliged to engage with us by June 30th and nothing has happened at all.”
"Good behaviour is not rewarded"
“Good behaviour is not rewarded,” Mr Reilly said. “We now have to decide to up the ante and tell the Minister we cannot deliver services unless there’s investment in community pharmacies.”
Mr Reilly said community pharmacies could offer advice and prescriptions without the necessity of going to a GP – but they can’t deliver this service without new investments.
“It's incumbent upon everyone to sit down and talk,” he said. “We’re not putting any preconditions on those talks – just sit down, talk and develop a system that’s better for everyone.”
"A lack of vision"
The IPU is calling for the introduction of a flat fee model of care being reimbursed at €6.50 per medicine.
Mr Reilly said there is a “lack of vision” in the Department of Health for community pharmacies.
“I think community pharmacy works well and as such, we're being neglected because we're just taken for granted,” he said. “Now we have a situation where one in 10 community pharmacies, particularly rural ones, are not viable."
"If it isn't addressed, we will see pharmacies in small rural areas in trouble.”
