[POLL] Are the pharmacists right to withdraw their medical card services

[tallaght01]

So, let's see what the man on the street thinks

I know this poll could be loaded. There are so many confounders.....HSE lackeys signing up to vote, more likelihood of people needing meds soon looking for a forum with discussion about the dispute. The high leveles of healthcare workers on here who get shafted by the HSE on a daily basis might shift it in the other direction.

The results certainly won't be generalisable tot he general public, but they should be interesting nonetheless.

I'm not going to enforce it, but I would ask that the pharmacists abstain from voting, as we know what they think

Remember there's another discussion thread for the issue at hand, ut feel free to discuss poll results on this thread.

[scanlant]

How about students they aren't pharmacists....yet

[tallaght01]

I voted "yes", not because I think the pharmacists shouldn't negotiate the price of drugs. I think they're willing to do that. But I think there was very little option left when the HSE announced these cuts to them in press release, and told them there would be no negotiation.

I respect any profession that have balls, and I think the pharmacists have shown serious cajones in standing up to the HSE bully tactics.

[tallaght01]

Originally Posted by scanlant

How about students they aren't pharmacists....yet

Nice try

[ElBarco]

Went for no. Insulin addict - no connection with the Hse

[PhysiologyRocks]

The pharmacists!

[scanlant]

Aww tallaght01, come on...

Just a quick suggestion for those who will see this poll on the main page and brush through.

Give a reason for your vote. It will be interesting to see how many have a grasp of the facts surrounding the issue and how many don't.

[bleg]

Technically I'm unemployed until September. Still won't vote though...

[ceegee]

locum pharmacist so cant vote. Needless to say i'm in favour even if i'm losing three days work this week due to shutters down in the place i'd been booked to work.

[nesf]

I voted No. I believe the pharmacists are completely correct to fight the HSE on this, I do not believe it was fair to patients to pull out in the nature that was done. Without having (accidentally I might add) excess of two drugs today I wouldn't be able to take all my meds tonight. Not taking all my meds could trigger a mania for me, something that is very costly both personally and financially. I'm very understanding of why this happened but seriously the IPU is going to cause people who need medication to go without it tonight. Yes it's the HSE's responsibility but bluntly did anyone expect them to be able to put together coverage without **** ups?

[radia]

Originally Posted by nesf

I voted No. I believe the pharmacists are completely correct to fight the HSE on this, I do not believe it was fair to patients to pull out in the nature that was done. Without having (accidentally I might add) excess of two drugs today I wouldn't be able to take all my meds tonight. Not taking all my meds could trigger a mania for me, something that is very costly both personally and financially. I'm very understanding of why this happened but seriously the IPU is going to cause people who need medication to go without it tonight. Yes it's the HSE's responsibility but bluntly did anyone expect them to be able to put together coverage without **** ups?

Hang on nesf -"Yes" means you think the pharmacists are right, "No" means you think they are wrong

[bluedolphin]

In a sort of similar position to nesf. I voted No. I can see both sides of the argument and I genuinely sympathise with the pharmacies, but at the same time both the IPU and the HSE are using vulnerable patients as pawns in this which I think is sick. I'm on Long Term Illness, and while my pharmacy will continue to dispense, they have warned me of extra delays because they will have to downsize their staff numbers. I'm lucky though: firstly my pharmacy is continuing the service, but secondly, as I'm in Limerick I would've had alternatives anyway. The people I really and truly feel for are those in rural areas - particularly the elderly - who now have to travel 30-40 miles for their meds. Obviously because they're on meds they're sick already so add the strain of extra travel or trying to sort out someone else to collect and what do you get? Another sickeningly ironic twist of the Irish health system.

[radia]

I voted yes.

I've had lengthy discussions with my pharmacist about this, and the level of bullying, intimidation and misinformation that the HSE are carrying out is incredible. They tried to put similar cuts through last year and they were told by the supreme court that they couldn't - so the minister changed the legislation allowing her to unilaterally change the contract. (What's the point in having any contract at all if it can be changed at will by one party?)

The only option that the pharmacists had was to take the cuts (34% on average - far, far deeper than those imposed on any other sector), or withdraw. For some (many?) taking the cuts would mean they are knowingly continuing to trade at a loss, which is illegal (reckless trading). Meantime, the Minister has chosen to ignore the reports she herself commissioned on how contracts/fees should be renegotiated. She's also chosen to ignore the main thing that makes the price of medicines in Ireland so high - the cost price negotiated with the manufacturers. She can't deal with the middleman (wholesaler) and their markup, but that doesn't mean it's right to impose extra cuts on the pharmacists in the hope that the pharmacists may be able to pressurise the wholesalers into lowering their prices.

And the worst thing of all about this is the misinformation the HSE are putting out about which pharmacists are dispensing. My pharmacy has their resignation letter in the window. It couldn't be clearer, yet the HSE had them on the list. I heard a HSE spokesman on Morning Ireland today saying they had plenty of pharmacies dispensing and everything was going fine. What planet is he on? From the stats posted here - and the evidence of my own eyes - at least 75% of all pharmacies are out, and there is CHAOS.

[radia]

Oh, and I totally agree with tallaght01 about standing up to bullies.

[dubcat]

Originally Posted by nesf

I voted No. I believe the pharmacists are completely correct to fight the HSE on this, I do not believe it was fair to patients to pull out in the nature that was done. Without having (accidentally I might add) excess of two drugs today I wouldn't be able to take all my meds tonight. Not taking all my meds could trigger a mania for me, something that is very costly both personally and financially. I'm very understanding of why this happened but seriously the IPU is going to cause people who need medication to go without it tonight. Yes it's the HSE's responsibility but bluntly did anyone expect them to be able to put together coverage without **** ups?

nesf if you think that pharmacists are right to fight the hse but you dont think they should pull out, what do you think they should have done instead. the minister wont entertain negotiation with the ipu