THE company which owns the Unicare pharmacy chain has written down the value of its Irish assets by €85 million and expects a significant decline in operating earnings this year.

THE huge increase in the HSE’s drug bill — jumping from €332 million in 1997 to €1.6 billion last year — is staggering and unsustainable.

THE Irish operations of German pharmacy and drug wholesaler Celesio proved one of the highlights in the group’s performance last year.