Pearse Doherty tells Taoiseach: 'You can't stop yourself from making life harder for people'

Sinn Féin's finance spokesperson made the claim over changes made earlier this year to blister packs — the types of pre-formed plastic packaging used for some pharmaceuticals

Pearse Doherty said the decision to restrict medications covered under the phased dispensing scheme operated by pharmacies is 'a disaster'. File photo: SAM BOAL/Collins Photos

The Government "cannot help but make life harder for people", the Opposition has claimed.

Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty made the claim over changes made earlier this year to blister packs — the types of pre-formed plastic packaging used for some pharmaceuticals.

Tablets are put into plastic containers with seven or more parts for patients who struggle to safely manage their medications. However, this arrangement had been paid for under a separate budget allocated to “phased dispensing" and will change from next month.

Mr Doherty said the decision to restrict medications covered under the phased dispensing scheme operated by pharmacies is "a disaster". He added that the decision means that "some of the most vulnerable people will no longer receive tablet blister packs free of charge".

"We're talking about tens of thousands of older people living with conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer's. They rely on tablet blister packs to help manage their medication. 

We're also talking about people with disabilities who are under real pressure with the cost of living. The packs help them make sure they take the right dosage and at the right time of day. 

"Your decisions means the cost of dispensing the blister packs paid for by the State for decades now, will now be passed on to these vulnerable customers.

"They will be hit by fee charges of up to €50 a month in some cases for these packs. Now this is a bad decision for the Government at any time, but you make this cruel choice during a cost-of-living crisis, when every euro is precious to people, it's like you can't stop yourself from making life harder for people."

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the Government has brought down the cost of medicines and accused Sinn Féin of having a "let it rip" attitude when it came to spending public money.

"We would certainly look at any situation where there's potential hardship on any patient or any person in receipt of medicine. 

"But we also have to be clear...there is an issue between the HSE and pharmacies in respect of the whole area of phased dispensing, which was introduced as far back as 1996 and patient safety reasons, because the supply of medication and instalments can support patients prescribed certain high-risk medications who are at risk of medication misadventure.

"The HSE contention is that monitored dosing systems and phased dispensing are two separate processes, and that phased dispensing requires the patient to present to the pharmacy on multiple occasions in the month, each week, as it would be unsafe for the patient to have the totality of the medication in one supply occasion. 

Blister packs are where tablets are put into plastic containers with seven or more parts for patients who struggle to safely manage their medications. However, this arrangement had been paid for under a separate budget allocated to 'phased dispensing' and will change from next month. File photo

"Monitored dosing systems are provided in one visit and packages to indicate when medication should be taken and the State had never agreed to pay in this context."

He said "invariably" the Opposition would come in another day and question government about how costs get out of control and value for money. 

"But (the Opposition) don't even allow interrogation of issues. The easy thing to go for is that government must pay for everything, no matter what, or how it's presented or how it's manifested. You just cast aside, even though you're a finance spokesman, any sense of controls whatsoever. There's a sense of just let it rip with your approach."

Mr Martin said the Government will "interrogate this again with the HSE and others", but that there are issues that "need agreements between the Irish Pharmacy Union and Centre for Pharmaeconomics".