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Transplant patient's €11,000
medical bill
24.04.08
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by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent
A BUNCRANA heart transplant recipient who faces a
€10,800 annual medicine bill has urged the HSE to
open discussions with pharmacists to end their
ongoing dispute.
Medical card holder Donna Porter called to her local
pharmacy in Buncrana last Friday and found out that
her heart medicine will, from May 1, cost her €940 a
month. |
"I was shocked. I
thought my medicine would cost €200 or €300 a month.
The two anti-rejection tablets, the ones that I need
to live, are going to cost €780 for a month's dose,"
said the local mother.
"The HSE would need to sit down with the pharmacists
and resolve this because it's going to be very
serious for people like me. You don't mind paying
for medicine every once in a while, say if you child
is sick, but I'm getting a lone parent's allowance
and that wouldn't cover the cost of my medicine
now."
Ms. Porter, who had a heart transplant in January
2006, said she'll go back to the
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pharmacy at the end of
April for a free prescription that will last her to
the end of May. Since March 1, HSE payments to
pharmacists for wholesale drugs have been cut by 8%,
saving the HSE €100m a year. It has left pharmacists
complaining that their businesses will be affected.
Hundreds of pharmacies have since stated their
intention to withdraw from the General Medical
Scheme from May 1. The Buncrana woman blames the
Government. "I just think the Government is getting
too greedy. It's obvious they didn't consider people
with long-term health problems when they decided to
(cut pharmacists drug payments).
I don't think they thought it through," added Ms.
Porter who gets married on May 30.
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