Late-night pharmacy openings under threat 

Pharmacies are ending their late-night services and reducing their weekend opening hours due to the financial pressures they currently face, the IPU has warned

Irish Pharmacy Union president Dermot Twomey

Pharmacies are increasingly ending their late-night services and are also reducing their weekend opening hours due to the financial pressures they currently face, the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has warned.

Phelan’s Pharmacy chain, which has offered late-night hours in Cork since 1991, is among those that are ending the service. While still opening every day, it has reduced hours meaning, for example, the St Patrick’s street branch now closes at 7pm instead of 10pm.

“A lot of the other pharmacies used to open until midnight, and their opening hours now are pulled back significantly especially at weekends,” owner Conor Phelan said.

He pointed out antibiotics are a common request from the late night customers. "It would be important — that service is valued, I know that,” he said. “It would certainly be missed if it wasn’t there.”

IPU president and Cork pharmacist Dermot Twomey outlined the extent of the problem for his members.

“Tesco Pharmacies pulled out of the Irish market in the last year or so. Another large chain has closed two pharmacies in the last fortnight that I’m aware of,” he said.

“A number of pharmacies — one in 10 — are actually loss-making. Approximately a third are making an operating profit of less than 10%. There are more pharmacies closing than there are opening.” 

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While the HSE is testing seven-day services, Mr Twomey is doubtful about potential regular Sunday opening.

Ultimately that’s not going to happen, it’s only going to go one way. In fact, you’re going to find the problems that you’re experiencing on Sundays, you’re probably going to start experiencing on Saturdays now.

IPU analysis shows State payments for dispensing items to public patients is, on average, €4.58 per item, compared to an average of €6 in 2009.

“What’s happened is we haven’t had a fee increase since 2009. In fact, we’ve had a decrease in that period,” he said.

Under the Public Service Pay And Pension Act 2017, the health minister is required every third year, before June 30, to review how rates are fixed by regulation.

However, Mr Twomey said despite efforts to begin discussion since November, they have had no response as this deadline looms.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: “ (the Act) requires the Minister for Health to enter consultations at the end of the review process if he decides to issue or amend regulations. Should the minister determine in his review that there is no need to bring forward new regulations then this will be communicated.”