About 3,000 recovering heroin addicts could begin to have their methadone prescriptions filled by their pharmacists from as early as tomorrow, following a decision by the Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU) to ask its members to resume dispensing the heroin substitute.
Some 140 pharmacists, mainly in the Dublin area, had withdrawn from the methadone protocol scheme of the Health Service Executive (HSE) last Monday. This was in protest at the HSE's decision to cut the mark-up paid to wholesalers for drugs which are then dispensed by pharmacists under the medical card scheme.
However, in a statement welcomed both by the HSE and local drug taskforces, IPU president Michael Guckian yesterday called on his members to resume providing methadone treatment to patients.
His decision followed "extensive consultation" among the union's committees and members around the country, he said. He added he was confident, based on "soundings" the IPU has taken across the country, that its members will resume the service in the coming days.
It is understood that if the pharmacists involved - some of whom have been summoned to appear before the Competition Authority this week - decide to heed their union's request, they would ordinarily write to the HSE to inform them of their plans to resume prescribing, and would also notify their local GPs.
This is expected to take some time, although it is thought some of those involved may be able to resume prescribing tomorrow.
It is believed, however, the situation remains "fragile". Individual IPU members retain the right to resume their protest - and to ignore the request to call a halt to the protest.
Mr Guckian said he was making the call for a number of reasons, including the fact pharmacists are "increasingly concerned" contingency plans put in place by the HSE "are clearly failing". "The intervention of [talks chairman] Bill Shipsey SC on Friday evening suggests that meaningful negotiations on the issues at the heart of this dispute will commence in the coming days," he added. "There is some evidence the HSE and the Department of Health appreciate the crisis in trust and goodwill which has arisen between the HSE and the pharmacy profession and the need to tackle this urgently.
"It is also important to note this move today does not mean the crisis in pharmacy is over. It is not, and to assume that the crisis has passed would be to invite a repeat of last week's problems."
A spokesman for the HSE said the move was a "positive development", and said it is always open to dialogue with pharmacists.
"There are certain types of dialogue which can't take place for legal reasons, and that includes direct negotiations on fees," he said.
David Connolly, spokesman for the heads of the local area drugs taskforces, warmly welcomed the move.
"We don't believe the protest should have happened in the first place," he said. "We also hope it will never be used again in the future."