Pharmacies Closed Aug 1, 2009?

One of my local pharmacies closed.
This particular pharmacy is one of 3 branches. The owner kept his other 2 branches open and extended their opening hours, (from 10-6 to 9-9).
So he is not losing any money from the closed branch, because he is making it up on the extended opening hours in the other branches.
 
Well I for one will NOT be giving any business (however small, with a wife and 2 toddlers) to the ones that closed and would love to see other people of the same opinion do likewise.
 
jaybird said:
This has been all over the news for days before the closures. Why not do something about it before then?
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Blame it on a busy lifestyle and lack of interest in RTE news bulletins, but I was aware of a general fuss and refusal to operate on the various schemes; I wasn't aware they were planning to actually shut their doors.

BTW I'm feeling a bit better today, thanks for asking ;-)
 
Yes.

Pharmacies earn:
  • a wholesale discount of maybe 8% (drug costs 100, wholesaler charges 117.64, pharmacy receives 117.64 from HSE, but the wholesaler gives a discount of 8-10)
  • a mark-up of 0% on medical card patients and 50% on DPS patients
  • a fee of 2.50-4.00 approx per transaction
 
Passed by Boots in Cork today at 4pm and no one at the dispensing counter..they are open for business. The propaganda in this dispute is shocking especially when the sick are the victims.
 
On RTE news this evening, Boots in the Pavillion was reported to be advising those people requiring non-urgent medication would not be able to have their scripts filled for 48 hours.... maybe, its time to consider compiling a list of those pharmacies that are dispensing medicine and those pharmacists who have not withdrawn from the GMS community drugs scheme but yet have shut up shop...
 
Protocol said:
Yes.


Pharmacies earn:
  • a wholesale discount of maybe 8% (drug costs 100, wholesaler charges 117.64, pharmacy receives 117.64 from HSE, but the wholesaler gives a discount of 8-10)
  • a mark-up of 0% on medical card patients and 50% on DPS patients
  • a fee of 2.50-4.00 approx per transaction
Click to expand...

Thank you protocol for this info, do you buy any chance also know what the charges than are for a normal dispensing act to a person that pays cash/credit card?
 
Just a point to advise people to drop in their perscriptions into pharmacies for later collection.

Pharmacies that earned massive mark ups and now refuse to deal with medical card curtomers are a thundering disgrace.

Prices of medicines in this country are a far too high.

Even basic stuff like paracetemol.
 
I don't understand your question.

It doesn't matter how you pay for your prescription drugs: cash, debit or credit card.

What is relevant is whether you are a DPS patient or a medical card patient.
 
Protocol said:
I don't understand your question.

It doesn't matter how you pay for your prescription drugs: cash, debit or credit card.

What is relevant is whether you are a DPS patient or a medical card patient.
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Sorry Protocol, I try to understand how much money pharmacies get to find out what the premium is the HSE is paying over a person paying his medicine on his own.
 
Example

Drug is 85 ex-factory price. This price is set by Govt in negotiation with drug supplier / manufacturers.

There are 3 main wholesalers (1 owned by a group of pharmacies, another owned by a pharmacy chain parent company)

The wholesaler adds a margin / mark-up. This used to be a 15% margin / 17.64% margin.

So the pharmacy gets paid 100, known as the reimbursable cost.

But the wholesaler gives the pharmacy a share of their margin in the form of a discount. So the pharmacy actually pays 92.

Gross profit so far = 8.

Next, the pharmacy adds a retail margin. The margin is 0% for medical card patients, 50% for DPS patients.

They also earn a dispnsing fee. I'm not sure exactly how much this is, about 2.50-4.00 per item.

So it is fair to say that the DPS scheme acts as a subsidy to the medical card scheme (GMS).


"Paying on your own"? - all non-GMS patients are in the DPS scheme, where you pay the first 80? 100? per month. The State pay the balance.
 
There seems to be a geographical element to this dispute (eg North-West/Wexford seem to have high proportion on non-participating pharmacies) - any particular reason for this and is it likely to become more widespread?

I have just been prescribed very expensive drugs and signed up to the DPS scheme last Thursday - fortunately all of my local pharmacies are still participating in the scheme.
 
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Protocol said:
Example

Drug is 85 ex-factory price. This price is set by Govt in negotiation with drug supplier / manufacturers.

There are 3 main wholesalers (1 owned by a group of pharmacies, another owned by a pharmacy chain parent company)

The wholesaler adds a margin / mark-up. This used to be a 15% margin / 17.64% margin.

So the pharmacy gets paid 100, known as the reimbursable cost.

But the wholesaler gives the pharmacy a share of their margin in the form of a discount. So the pharmacy actually pays 92.

Gross profit so far = 8.

Next, the pharmacy adds a retail margin. The margin is 0% for medical card patients, 50% for DPS patients.

They also earn a dispnsing fee. I'm not sure exactly how much this is, about 2.50-4.00 per item.

So it is fair to say that the DPS scheme acts as a subsidy to the mediacl card scheme (GMS).


"Paying on your own"? - all non-GMS patients are in the DPS scheme, where you pay the first 80? 100? per month. The Stae pay the balance.
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Thanks protocol that is very helpful, now I understand better what this fuzz is about.
 
Protocol said:
"Paying on your own"? - all non-GMS patients are in the DPS scheme, where you pay the first 80? 100? per month. The Stae pay the balance.
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Just to clarify, a non GMS patient must apply to be in the DPS scheme - it does not happen automatically. All non GMS patients are entitled to be in it, but not all are (I am not for instance).
 
annet said:
On RTE news this evening, Boots in the Pavillion was reported to be advising those people requiring non-urgent medication would not be able to have their scripts filled for 48 hours.... maybe, its time to consider compiling a list of those pharmacies that are dispensing medicine and those pharmacists who have not withdrawn from the GMS community drugs scheme but yet have shut up shop...
Click to expand...

Edit: Sorry Annet, I misread the last part of your post - my reply doesn't answer your question so I've deleted it.
 
truthseeker said:
Just to clarify, a non GMS patient must apply to be in the DPS scheme - it does not happen automatically. All non GMS patients are entitled to be in it, but not all are (I am not for instance).
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I’m with you there truthseeker, I was also not fully aware of the DPS.

Now I already printed the DPS application form and am sending it out today.
 
DublinTexas said:
I’m with you there truthseeker, I was also not fully aware of the DPS.

Now I already printed the DPS application form and am sending it out today.
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With all this publicity (which is the only reason I ever heard of DPS) there will probably be a whole wave of people joining up who never knew about it before.
 
DublinTexas, Truthseeker,

are you saying that you or people you know have been paying more than the DPS limit each month for presciption drugs?

Surely the pharmacy should tell you?

Also, I can't believe that people don't know about this scheme.

It's mentioned in the Budget each year, as the Govt often increase the limit.

It's also mentioned in many pharmacy windows.

I see a notice in many pharmacy windows:

"We accept:

GMS medical cards
LTI
DPS"

By the way, people can also get tax relief on the 80 or 100 cash payment that they have to pay each month.
 
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