Longford pharmacy entrepreneur says he will not implement extra fee

A Longford pharmacist and business owner says his pharmacies will not be charging an extra fee for ‘phased dispensing’ or blister packs, even if the government withdraws funding for the scheme that covers the cost of the extra work involved for the pharmacist.

Mr Gareth Johnston, owner of Johnstons Pharmacy with branches in Lanesboro, Longford Town, and Ballygar, said there was a lot of confusion around the issue since the news broke.

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Originally, the government intended to withdraw a significant portion of funding for the scheme starting next month, meaning pharmacists would no longer receive a fee from the government for the extra work involved and instead have to charge patients directly.

Mr Johnston said patients had voiced concerns that they would be charged this extra fee from January onwards. However he clarified that the government were merely reducing the list of medications they would pay pharmacists for and that this reduction primarily concerned a practice known as ‘phased dispensing’, the term given to the dispensation of medication in instalments.

Mr Johnston said the practice in question is “slightly more laborious for pharmacists” but added that he would not be implementing any extra fee for such work in any of his pharmacies.

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Mr Johnston said this stance would also extend to patients who use blister packs - a method commonly favoured by elderly patients or those suffering with memory problems as it helps to ensure they can keep track of their medication.

Following a recent public backlash, the government announced they would be pausing the matter until closer to March next year.