Older and disabled people are being treated like pawns in Department of Health savings game by ending phased dispensing of medication

Labour’s Health Spokesperson Marie Sherlock TD has today expressed deep dismay at changes contained in the new Community Pharmacy Agreement agreed with the HSE, warning that the decision to effectively end phased dispensing of prescribed medication will have a major negative impact on older people and those living with a disability. Deputy Sherlock said this is shortsighted and cruel treatment of some of the most vulnerable people in our health system, and called on the Minister for Health to urgently intervene to reverse this decision.

Deputy Sherlock said:

“Phased dispensing has been in place since 1996. For nearly three decades, it has been transformative in enabling older people and those with a disability to manage their condition and continue living at home. Families, carers and individuals themselves have all told us how vital this measure is. It has ensured that medication is taken at the right time, prevented unnecessary hospital or GP visits, given families peace of mind, and freed up carers to spend more quality time with the people they support.

“It is nothing short of cruel to now take this away. The new agreement means phased dispensing will no longer be permitted when physicians request it, or when it is deemed necessary for patient safety. That is an extraordinary and reckless move, stripping away a very basic element of healthcare provision. It is also completely at odds with Government’s own stated ambition to keep more patients at home and out of hospitals or nursing homes.

“Over the summer, in the wake of the nursing home scandal, Ministers repeatedly spoke about the need to support people to remain in their homes for longer. Yet the reality is this agreement does the exact opposite. It undermines the very tools that have enabled people to live independently and safely.

“Phased dispensing is not an add-on or a luxury. It is a straightforward, essential measure that has underpinned community-based care for decades. Ending it will put huge pressure on families, carers and frontline services, while leaving vulnerable people exposed to greater risks and unnecessary hardship.

At the heart of this, older and vulnerable people are being made pawns in a game the Department of Health is playing with pharmacists. The agreement explicitedly sets out that the savings generated will be used by pharmacists for other services and “if further savings are realised these will be reinvested in the sector”. Older people and those with a disability should not be made to suffer because of this.

This decision must not be allowed to stand. I am calling on the Minister for Health to urgently intervene, reverse this retrograde move, and ensure phased dispensing remain available and reimbursed. Anything less will be an abdication of responsibility to older people, those with disabilities, and their families. Government must act now.”