The HSE has approached a number of recruitment agencies with a view to recruiting pharmacists for an 8 week period from the end of July.  This is a contingency plan in the event of community pharmacies discontinuing the provision of dispensing services to patients under the various community drug schemes from August 1st, 2009.

Pharmacists reaction has been unanimously angry.  Discussions on the subject on the website http://www.poitigeir.com/ (formerly http://www.pharmacycrisis.com) have been heated.  A post by Pat O’Dowd of the HSE asking pharmacists to reply to communications asking them to state their intentions on August 1st has been met with the sort of response that would do justice to any lynch mob.

Response to the agencies adverts have in general been negative.  Pharmacist feel that to work with the HSE on this scheme would seriously injure their chances of long term employment with any pharmacy.  They feel that the short duration of the locum is just not worth it since they would be viewed as ’scabs’ by the vast majority of pharmacists and pharmacy owners.