Drug price scheme a bad deal for patients

WHILE I’m delighted to see that the price of some medicines is coming down, this is meaningless to many patients who now have to pay more for their medicines each month because of the new taxes and charges brought in by Health Minister Mary Harney.

She has increased the monthly threshold on the Drugs Payments Scheme to a hefty €€120. A person or family whose medicines cost more than €€100 last year, now need to stump up an extra €€20 a month or €€240 a year. Medical card holders won’t benefit either. Before medical card holders got their medicines without a charge, now they will now have to pay a new prescription tax which will be up to €€10 a month.

The so-called savings will be largely illusions and transient.