Up to 300 rural chemists at risk of closure warns President of the Irish Pharmacy Union
Up to 300 rural chemists are at risk of closure.
The President of the Irish Pharmacy Union is warning that members living in rural areas are struggling to keep their doors open.
Daragh Connolly operates from his pharmacy in Dungarvan where they have seen a total of nine premises drop to seven in his hometown in the past 18 months.
He describes why rural pharmacies are either closing or finding it hard to stay open.
"We are so reliant on the payments we receive from the Government for the services we provide to people who need health services - through the GMS, the medical card," said Mr Connolly.
"So what you might find is, that there are pharmacies now honey-potting. Which is to say, like any business, you go to where the cash customer is because that's where the best chance of your business surviving is."
