Overview
- Pharmacies have informed patients that charges for blister-pack dispensing could begin in January, with proposals of €20 per dispensing and warnings of monthly bills up to €50.
- Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil he will discuss the issue with the HSE and said the Government would examine cases where patients face hardship.
- He noted a distinction between phased dispensing and monitored dosing, stating that monitored dosing was never formally funded by the State.
- Opposition figures and the charity ALONE warn new fees could burden older and vulnerable people and increase medication errors, citing links between non-adherence and hospital admissions.
- Labour’s Marie Sherlock urged allocating part of the additional €50m for next year’s Community Pharmacy Agreement to maintain blister-pack support for patients in hardship.