Cuts to payments angers pharmacists

THE Irish Pharmacy Union has said the Government is “entrenching outdated patterns of primary care delivery” by cutting payments to pharmacists in order to make annual savings of €36 million.

Yesterday, Health Minister Dr James Reilly announced that, under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009, he had decided to reduce certain payments made by the HSE to community pharmacists under the General Medical Services and community drugs schemes.

He said the estimated annual savings from the measures is €36m (€24m over the rest of this year).