Chemist trade faces major overhaul

A RADICAL shake-up of the pharmacy industry, allowing chemists trained abroad to open up businesses here, will be recommended to Health Minister Micheál Martin later this week.

The report by the Pharmacy Review Group also recommends the number of stores operated by multi-national companies be limited to stop them monopolising the market.

The report says multinationals should get just 8% of the dispensing contracts given out by health boards to operate the General Medical Scheme and Drug Refund Scheme contracts.