The Mandate trade union has expressed serious concern about the possibility of job losses in the pharmacy sector.
Many pharmacists have warned that they will have to lay off staff if the HSE presses ahead with a plan to unilaterally reduce the amount of money it pays for medicines.
Mandate, which represents thousands of pharmacy workers, is seeking an urgent meeting with the Irish Pharmaceutical Union to discuss the situation.
It says the job security of thousands of pharmacy workers is being ignored in the current dispute.