Killarney Pharmacists Seek Planning Ruling |
| Ireland's planning board is expected to rule shortly on a bid by chemist businesses in Killarney, Co Kerry to overturn acceptance of a major medical centre project as unfair competition. They are asking An Bord Pleanála to rule on whether the town council's decision to allow a major medical centre into a new multi-storey building, originally planned for office and commercial use, in fact needs new planning permission. The Irish Times has reported that the 105,000sq-ft glass-fronted Reeks Gateway, comprising multi-storey blocks at the northern entrance to Killarney, was built by developers Sundays Well Properties Ltd. The local company was granted permission in 2004 and it was built at the height of the boom, but was never fully occupied. They said they would take up 50,000sq ft of the Gateway - just under half of the development - at a cost of some €25 million and that move is now nearing completion. However, pharmacists in Killarney have been opposed to the plan, fearing for their livelihoods. In October, after a submission, Killarney Town Council ruled there was no distinction in the planning between a medical centre and commercial uses of the building and therefore the move to the Gateway centre did not require planning and was exempt. Now agents on behalf of Cormac and Owen Deasy, Park Road Pharmacy, Countess Road, Killarney, have referred the matter to An Bord Pleanála. They say there is "a clear distinction" between commercial and medical uses and that medical centres give rise to different planning issues than commercial office uses. Government policy was also against the co-location of retail pharmacies and medical centres, the pharmacists state. |
tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260
1 comment:
I wonder why pharmacists should fear a modern primary health care centre, which have the world norm of performing checkups and precribing medication but NOT providing medication, which is the purpose of pharmacists.
If that is how the proposed new clinic is intended to operate, pharmacists have nothing to fear, other than competition amongst themselves.
It will be disappointing if fear out of lack of information and lack of understanding by pharmacists will prevent the modernisation of GP services in Killarney, it will set health services behind the times.
I hope you as a public representative now clarify to both parties the distinction between a primary care clinic as a prescriber of medication, and pharmacists as providers of prescribed medication.
Post a Comment