Business

Pharmacists call for ‘long overdue’ increase in dispensing fees on State medicine schemes

Irish Pharmacy Union says fees have not increased in 16 years and pharmacists are operating State schemes at a loss

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and president of the Irish Pharmacy Union Tom Murray at the group's national conference in Athlone. Photograph: Jason Clarke

Dominic Coyle
Mon Apr 29 2024 - 05:00

Pharmacies across the Republic are subsidising the State through their private business because fees for filling prescriptions for medical card holders and those on the drug payment scheme have not been increased in 16 years, the incoming president of the industry group says.

Donegal-based Tom Murray, a community pharmacist for 23 years, took over as president of the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) at its national conference in Athlone over the weekend.

Addressing the conference, which was attended by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, he said a new funding model for Ireland’s pharmacies was long overdue and needed to be implemented as a matter of priority, with many pharmacies at “breaking point”.

“Eighty per cent of community pharmacists’ time is devoted to State services in administering the community drug schemes. Last year, pharmacists dispensed over 80 million medicines on behalf of the State,” he said.

READ MORE

“The fees paid for providing this vital service have been frozen for 16 years, while every other service provider, professional and employee, in the health sector has had increased payments.

“As a result of a draconian and regressive tiered fee structure, and in the face of rising costs, pharmacies are dispensing at a loss for significant portions of each month when providing State services. As a result, every single pharmacy is now subsidising the State through their private business,” Mr Murray said, which was “unsustainable and cannot continue”.

[ Medicine shortages a growing problem, say pharmacists ]

The IPU is calling for a dispensing flat fee structure of €6.50, noting that this figure is below the €7.50 recommended in an independent review of the pharmacy fees structure conducted by former IDA chief executive Seán Dorgan in 2008.

“If serious reform, including a fee increase, is not implemented, there will be dire consequences for patient care and for pharmacy services in the future,” Mr Murray said.

He welcomed the expected expansion of the role of 2,300 community pharmacists working in 1,800 pharmacies around the State which, he said, should include independent prescribing powers, the provision of a service for common clinical conditions and enhanced contraceptive care.

The issue is currently subject of an expert taskforce on the future of the sector.

He also reiterated IPU calls for implementation of a serious shortages protocol provided for in legislation currently going through the Oireachtas which, he said, would reduce waiting times for medicines in short supply.

Dominic Coyle

Dominic Coyle

Dominic Coyle is Deputy Business Editor of The Irish Times

LATEST STORIES