Pharmacists providing methadone treatment to recovering drug addicts on behalf of the State have threatened to stop doing so unless the Health Service Executive (HSE) improves its support for them.
They claim that their personal safety and that of their staff is at risk as a result, with attacks on pharmacies involved in the methadone scheme increasing.
Paddy Hickey, a pharmacist who operates 26 pharmacies around the State, claimed that the HSE had reneged on a number of agreements relating to the scheme, such as the provision of the hepatitis B vaccine to pharmacists and their staff.
"In addition, the HSE agreed in 2005 to provide financial support to pharmacies to ensure that pharmacists were able to provide methadone treatment to patients in a safe and appropriate manner.
"However, this support has never materialised," Mr Hickey said.
The HSE responded, saying that it was committed to improving the methadone programme. It said that it had just finalised an arrangement whereby it would refund costs incurred by pharmacy staff in obtaining hepatitis B vaccinations.
It also said that it was agreed that when the scheme began, that a grant of €6,350 would be paid to community pharmacists with 10 or more patients on the methadone treatment scheme.
This grant was intended to contribute to the costs incurred by pharmacists in improving and upgrading their premises and enhancing their security arrangements, according to the HSE.
It added that it was initially agreed that the grant would be a once-off, but the arrangement was subsequently continued and pharmacists can now apply for a second grant after a period of six years from the date of the initial grant.
"The HSE is currently reviewing its administrative processes in relation to this payment with a view to streamlining it," it said.