Methadone scheme for recovering addicts also hit by closures.

A HSE spokesman described the action of pharmacists who had closed their shops and who were contracted to dispense methadone as "a very unfortunate way to treat a vulnerable group".

He said the methadone maintenance programme was a separate service to the State drugs scheme and the withdrawal of pharmacists from the programme was "entirely inappropriate".

The shutters at Conefrey's Pharmacy on Pearse Street were fully closed yesterday with a typed statement posted, reading: "Dear customer, due to the ongoing dispute with the HSE Conefrey's pharmacy will be closed from Saturday August 1st until further notice. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this action."

It went on to give an emergency number and said any prescriptions held on file could be delivered to people's homes.

Tomás Conefrey, owner of the branch, agreed it was "rather drastic" to close the shop, but said it was a "step we have to take".

"We can't dispense medicines anyway as we no longer have a contract with the HSE. We have resigned from that. We could fill private prescriptions but we are an inner-city pharmacy and have very few private patients."

His business was part of the methadone dispensing scheme and was no longer dispensing methadone either, he continued.

"I had been in contact with the community liaison pharmacist and only got guidance on what to do last Friday. So I was told to return all our methadone patients back to the HSE and I understand they are now going to the clinic in Dr Steevens' Hospital," he said.

Fiona O'Keefe, a recovering addict, was picking up her methadone from a Unicare branch in Stoneybatter yesterday and said she was "lucky" she was linked into that chemist as it was open.

"There's chemists up the road are closed and people don't know what to be doing. I was passing there and people are being sent to the City Clinic and it's meant to be crazy up there today.

"It's a disgrace. The State put us on this methadone and then they're hitting the weakest like this, as usual."

Another chemist involved in dispensing methadone, O'Reilly's Pharmacist at Cornmarket in the south inner city, was unsure whether they would be able to stay open if the situation continued.

The pharmacist on duty yesterday, Cormac Loughnane, said he was providing services at the moment but said it was "difficult to say" whether services could be maintained. Staff may have to be placed on protective notice.

Bradley's pharmacy in Ringsend was also closed yesterday, with a notice advising people who to contact in the case of emergency.