PHARMACISTS AND THE Minister for Health have broken an impasse over how the new scheme for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) will be delivered, clearing the way for the scheme to commence next month.

HRT used to relieve symptoms of menopause, perimenopause and postmenopause will be available for free at participating pharmacies from 1 June, with a pharmacy dispensing fee of €5 per item.

Pharmacies that sign up to the scheme will be supplied with a €2,000 once-off grant for transition arrangements such as upgrading their ICT systems.

The Irish Pharmacy Union had previously argued that a €5 dispensing fee was too low and called for it to be raised to at least €6.50, and pharmacists said they wouldn’t join the scheme because they couldn’t afford to at the proposed dispensing fee.

However, after talks between the union and the Department of Health, both sides hve confirmed today that the union has endorsed a revised version of the scheme.

The dispensing fee is still set at €5 but the once-off grant was raised from €1,000 to €2,000, and the department has agreed to several further commitments, including a review of pharmacy fees. 

The new framework agreement between the IPU, Department of Health and the HSE also includes government commitments to reduce administrative burdens on pharmacies and support their digitisation.

And another key item is the expansion of pharmacy services, such as enabling pharmacists to authorise certain prescription medications for patients.

Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said that with IPU’s support for the scheme, she “anticipates that every pharmacy will now sign up”.

“I hugely welcome the contribution pharmacists make to women’s health and to our health services. I look forward to continuing to work closely with the sector in the coming weeks and months,” she said.

IPU President Tom Murray described the framework as the “most comprehensive commitment to the future of Irish pharmacy in decades”.

“Our main priority with the HRT Scheme has been to ensure women receive the medication they need without cost. We are endorsing the scheme in good faith, backed by the broader commitments in this framework, including a review of the pharmacy fee structure,” Murray said.