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PHARMACIES WILL INFORM their patients how much they charge in dispensing fees under new guidelines set to be developed by the pharmacy regulator.
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill made the announcement today, saying that she does not believe patients have “clear visibility” of the fees that they are paying when getting their prescription medicines.
The new guidelines will be developed by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI).
It’s understood they will focus on improving patient access to information regarding the range of dispensing fees charged, with the intention to add the dispensing charge to an itemised receipt given to patients at the point of dispensing.
It comes as pharmacists and the Department of Health clashed over the delayed rollout of the scheme to make Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) products free for women experiencing symptoms of menopause, which was supposed to start in January.
The scheme was announced by former health minister Stephen Donnelly last October as part of Budget 2025. It would see HRT products become free of charge, but women who have a prescription from their doctor would still have to pay for their GP visit and the dispensing fee to the pharmacist.
The delay means women without medical cards are still having to pay for their medication.
Some women told The Journal how they had to ration their HRT patches due to the cost, how they felt let down by the Government, with one woman saying she delayed taking HRT until January because she thought the free scheme would be in place.
Pharmacists told The Journal they had not received any details about the scheme before it was announced and had yet to be informed which medications would be included under the scheme, despite the plan for it to be in place by January.
Speaking in March, Carroll MacNeill said there “wasn’t agreement with the pharmacists that they would dispense” the free HRT, “so it wasn’t implemented, even though it has been available to be implemented since the beginning of January”.
In a statement today, the Fine Gael TD said that “all charges by pharmacies must be more transparent and readily understood by patients”.
“Since becoming Minister for Health, I have engaged with pharmacy stakeholders, pharmacists, and patients on a wide range of issues concerning community pharmacies,” she said.
“Through these engagements I recognise that the fees patients pay for medicines and associated services is not well understood and not as clear as we should expect in 2025.”
As of last year, the average dispensing fee per item was €4.51. The Irish Pharmacy Union has proposed a flat fee of €6.50 per item dispensed, saying the decrease continues to be a threat to “the financial viability of pharmacies”.
Carroll MacNeill said that pharmacists are highly trained and trusted professionals who “absolutely should charge a service fee for their expertise and for these professional services”.
She said she recently met with the PSI and they have agreed to “progress a programme of work to develop statutory guidelines aimed at improving patient access to information in respect of services provided by community pharmacies”.
“This is something that has been recommended by the PSI and I am keen to work with them to enable it,” she said, adding that she believes this is a “proportionate response to the transparency issue”.
“I hope pharmacies will support their patients, proactively, with clear information on the nature and quantum of charges levied. I will keep an open mind on this matter, and I will subsequently consider other opportunities including legislative intervention, if they are needed, to achieve this important public policy goal.”
The PSI is the statutory body responsible for regulating pharmacists and pharmacies in the public interest.
In a statement, the PSI said that while the pricing of medicines and the fees set by pharmacies is outside of their remit, “the PSI considers that transparency in pricing for patients and members of the public is desirable as an aid to empowering them to make informed decisions about their care”.
“We will now commence the process of developing guidelines for pharmacists and pharmacies on price transparency that will support patient empowerment, while ensuring that any information on pricing, is factual, encourages the safe and rational use of medicines, and in line with relevant legislation.”
The guidelines will undergo public consultation and will be subject to approval by the Council of the PSI.
In a statement to The Journal, the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) said it welcomes “the recognition by the Minister of the important professional role of pharmacists in ensuring the safe and appropriate use of medicines”.
“Community pharmacists are proud to serve their patients with professionalism, compassion, and transparency,” the IPU said.
The organisation said pharmacists “already adhere fully” to all guidance issued by the PSI on pricing transparency for prescription medicines and welcome “continued collaboration with the regulator to maintain openness and trust for the patients we care for every day”.
The IPU added that the announcement “aligns fully” with the ambition of community pharmacists.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health told The Journal that the Minister is “committed to the implementation of the HRT measure announced in Budget 2025″.
“The Department and the Health Service Executive (HSE) has engaged extensively with the Irish Pharmacy Union in relation to the practical rollout of this measure,” the spokesperson said.
“The Minister and officials in the Department are actively engaged on the matter with the goal to introduce this measure as soon as possible. As this work is ongoing, it is not possible to comment further.”
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