Legal challenge to HSE price cuts gets underway today
A legal challenge to the HSE’s decision to unilaterally cut the price it pays for wholesale medicines is due to get underway today.
In March, the HSE imposed an 8% reduction in the price it pays pharmacists for medicine in an effort to save €100m.
More than 800 pharmacists subsequently threatened to withdraw from dispensing medicine under the medical card and community drugs schemes.
However, they agreed to continue operating the schemes after the HSE removed some categories of drugs from the price cuts and promised to address a number of other long-standing issues.
Despite the deal, individual pharmacists are still pressing ahead with legal challenges to the price cuts.
The Irish Pharmacy Union claims the HSE move could put more than 300 pharmacies out of business, with the loss of more than 4,500 jobs.
