�The Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney TD, proclaimed the publication of the Report of the Independent Body on Pharmacy Contract Pricing. The Minister intends to fetch the report to Government at the earliest possible opportunity in the autumn.
On 18 February 2008 the Minister for Health and Children announced the appointment of an Independent Body to recommend a new, meanwhile community drugstore dispensing fee for the General Medical Service (GMS), Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) and former community drug schemes.
The body was chaired by Mr Sean Dorgan and the other members were Mr Mark Moran and Ms Mary O'Dea.
The Terms of Reference for the Independent Body on Pharmacy Contract Pricing were as follows:
"To propose the Minister for Health and Children on the appropriate level of dispensing fee to be nonrecreational to community of interests pharmacists for existing services provided below the GMS and community drug schemes having esteem to:
- the overall public interest including the issues of affected role safety and continuity of supply;
- the fee of �5 per item which has already been offered;
- the sane costs incurred by pharmacists in providing services under the schemes and the value of the professional service of dispensing; and
- the statutory obligation on the Health Service Executive (HSE) to use the resources available to it in the most beneficial, effective and efficient personal manner to meliorate, promote and protect the health and welfare of the public;
and to submit a report on the matter to the Minister for Health and Children."
Along with the terms of reference, the Minister dress out a proposed manner of operation as follows:
- both the HSE as the contracting body and the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) as the representative organisation for community pharmacists, along with other stakeholders, would be entitled to make submissions addressing whatever factors and issues ar of fear to them.
- the Independent Body was also entitled to enlist whatever outside expertise it required to assist it with its task.
- based on its consideration of submissions received and its own independent evaluation, the Independent Body was to recommend an appropriate dispensing fee to the Minister that would, in its view, typify a fair and sensible price to be nonrecreational for the pharmaceutical service currently
