Drug Scheme Fiasco.

[gen_a]

Been looking for an overview of the standoff between the HSE and pharmacists regarding the drug scheme. Most of the recent info i've come across is either from the HSE or IPU (pharmacy union) and revolves around the list of pharmacies pulling out of the scheme. Much of this is silly rhetoric and isn't dealing with the crux of the matter.

I am a newcomer to this story. Can anybody enlighten me as to the back story?

[diar2me]

Not claiming to know 100% of the story but this is what I understand:

When someone gets a prescription using the drugs payment scheme the pharmacy receive a dispensing fee off the government of €3.60 or €4.20 regardless of the cost of the drugs. But after this depending on the drug they also get a margin on the cost of the drug. For example I heard of a drug for ulcers ( can't remember the name) which costs €27 of which the pharmacy makes 50% mark up on. So when this is sold on they get €27 + €3.60 + 50%x€27 = The pharmacy makes €17.50 profit on one prescription. Now, as I understand it the debate lies around the hse saying that the pharmacies are making too much of a margin and the pharmacies arguing that the government pay too much of a wholesale price on the drugs. All in all it equates to a government and a health board that are getting ripped off by the pharmaceutical companies in paying over the odds for drugs but if you look at the pharmacies argument it's horse manure as well, cause if the government pay less for the drugs they will get less of a mark up anyway which is what the hse is trying to do now. To be honest the way I see it is that the hse are trying to do something constructive for once but are making a balls of it and the IPU have just got vested interests.