HSE spends six times the cost of medicine for those on medical cards
The HSE is spending up to six times the cost of medicine for those on medical cards.
In 2014, it spent €20.5m on aspirin, when the cost of the drug was just over €3.4m.
The Sunday Business Post reported that more is paid in dispensing fees to pharmacists than the cost of the medicines themselves.
Of the €8m spent on paracetamol by the HSE, €6m was dispensing fees.
The next government is being urged by the medicines watchdog to consider cutting the fees paid to pharmacists, which would reduce the bill to the taxpayer.
