Age Action is concerned about the impact which the threatened withdrawal of more than two-thirds of the pharmacists from the community drugs schemes will have on older people.

“We are urging all sides to engage in talks at the earliest opportunity to try and prevent the problems which will develop from August 1 if there is a mass withdrawal of pharmacists from the scheme,” Age Action spokesman Eamon Timmins said.

The Irish Pharmacy Union has warned that over 1,000 of the 1,521 pharmacists who currently hold a contract with the HSE for the provision of medicines to patients on the community drugs schemes have written to the HSE to confirm their intention to withdraw from August 1 in dispute at the Government’s decision to reduce margins paid to pharmacists.

News of the escalation in the dispute is stressful for some older people who are concerned about how they will their prescriptions from next month if their local pharmacist withdraws from the scheme.

“Age Action is particularly concerned for older people who may be house-bound, and/or may be living in isolated rural areas which are poorly served by public transport,” Mr Timmins said. “If their local pharmacist withdraws, the next participating pharmacist may be a considerable distance away. We are anxious that such people with multi-disadvantages are not hit by this dispute.” Age Action believes the HSE must prioritise these cases as part of any contingency plan drawn up.

The older people’s charity is also concerned about the longer term implications of the dispute, and the impact it may have on the financial viability of community pharmacies. “If more pharmacies in rural areas were to close, it would have a major impact on older people,” Mr Timmins said.