Pharmacists have called for the abolition of the prescription levy, insisting that many patients simply cannot afford the fee.

In the past, people with medical cards obtained their prescription medicines from pharmacies with no fees attached. However, in 2010, a prescription levy of 50c per item was introduced.

This has since been raised to €2.50 per item, up to a maximum of €25 per month per person or family.

Delegates attending the annual conference of the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) at the weekend were told of recent research, which found that 28% of medical card holders ‘think twice' about taking their prescribed medicines because of the costs involved. Furthermore, one in seven admitted to not filling prescriptions because of the charge.

Pharmacists at the conference voted in favour of a motion calling for the phased abolition of the levy. This motion called on the Minister for Health to initially exempt all vulnerable patients, including homeless people and those with intellectual disabilities, before phasing it out over a three-year period.

"Every pharmacist in the country is aware of the impact of the prescription levy, particularly on economically vulnerable patients. Many patients, particularly those on fixed incomes, just cannot afford to pay the levy. Instead, they gamble with their health every day either by reducing their medication or by stopping it entirely," commented pharmacist, Ciara McCabe.

She said that this only leads to ‘sicker patients with more complex medical needs'.

"Putting economic barriers in the way of patients taking their medicine doesn't make sense. The imposition of the levy is creating more future demand for a health service that is already struggling to cope.

"People living with long-term conditions like asthma, COPD or heart disease should be focusing on getting better and keeping well, not worrying about how they're going to pay for their next vital prescription," Ms McCabe insisted.

She added that patients ‘need to be supported, not penalised'.

In other news from the conference, the IPU welcomed an announcement by Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, about the introduction of a pilot pharmacy-based Minor Ailment Scheme.

The pilot will run in 19 pharmacies in four towns - Kells, Roscommon, Macroom and Edenderry - and will last for three months.

It will allow medical card holders to receive treatment for common conditions, such as dry skin, scabies, threadworm and vaginal thrush, directly from their community pharmacy, without the need for a visit to the GP.

"The IPU is delighted that this pilot will commence on June 1. We look forward to working with other healthcare professionals to deliver a service that will not only benefit patients, but also reduce the pressure on hardworking local GPs, allowing them to focus their valuable time on treating patients with more complex conditions, making better use of their resources," commented IPU president, Kathy Maher.