Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
PHARMACISTS HAVE WARNED that the prescription levy introduced in the last Budget is making medical card holders less likely to buy their prescription drugs.
In a survey, a large number of medical card patients said they would think twice about filling a prescription because of the charge.
The controversial €2.50 levy was deeply unpopular when it was introduced by the Fianna Fáil led-government in 2010, and was increased by the current government last December.
Speaking at the start of the national conference of the Irish Pharmacy Union today, incoming president Kathy Maher said the government should introduce an exemption for patients who are homeless, in palliative care, or in residential care settings.
“As pharmacists, we are very concerned that the hike in the levy is having a significant impact on medicine usage,” said Maher.
“We need to make sure that vulnerable patients are encouraged to take prescribed medicines, not discouraged from doing so”.
The poll by Behaviour & Attitudes for IPU found that 38 per cent of medical card patients would have second thoughts about filling a prescription because of the levy,.
Since the last Budget, people with a medical card have to pay a charge of €2.50 per item, up to a maximum of €25 per family.
The charge was originally introduced in 2010 as a 50 cent levy, but has increase in subsequent Budgets.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Good news for Limerick. A good range of jobs too. This is what the government are busy doing getting businesses to invest in Ireland while the media only want to report ‘scandals’. Good news never makes the headlines unfortunately.
Hopefully it’s not like the fake jobs announcement from Ethicon/Vistakon a few months ago
140 new jobs over the next three years!! I won’t pop the champagne just yet.
Sound like good jobs and if every big business added 140 jobs it’d add up pretty fast…. probably not as good as your “work from home” jobs though…
Are these “New” jobs or are they contractors being made permanent?
Red thumb as much as you like but it’s a pertinent question. I’ve heard of a big announcement recently in Limerick for 90 new jobs but the reality was the jobs were already filled by existing contractors
I agree, it’s a valid question to ask. It doesn’t necessarily mean that 140 unemployed people will be filling new positions over 3 years.
That’s very true Shane there really wasn’t any ” new” jobs at all .
Those jobs should really be moved to Dublin
Why
Because he is a troll and there always right
Here, there, everywhere.
Troll.
The cost of locating them in Dublin is too high.
It’s a good news and not a bad news story.
Nice stock image of the place too from the Clare hills.
There is a big movement against IW going on in this country that the media does not wish to report on, Instead they make satire articles of the issue.
People should not return any phising packs to IW, don’t engage with them, don’t hand any info over to them. There is very little they can do to force you to pay. They will be swamped in so much paper it will keep them busy till next xmas
Irish water will find it very easy to make people pay. It may take till next Christmas but you’ll still pay.
You can oppose Irish water but don’t let some poor eejits get in to a mountain of debt by doing so.
How many of these are allocated for job bridge?
have your say