Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. Like others, I welcome the proposed Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill, which has been long awaited. I am glad that the Government has seen fit to move on it. I look forward to seeing how it will operate. The Minister of State is well briefed on this area. There is the issue of price variation, particularly in this city, where one can pay double the price depending on the distance one lives from the city. If one adds such price variation to the prices of medication under the drugs refund scheme, which the Minister of State highlighted, patients are suffering a double whammy. The consumer is being mugged with regard to the prices charged for medications in certain chemists. Under the drugs refund scheme, the taxpayer is being mugged, because with medicines priced at this level they can easily reach the ceiling to which the Minister of State referred. These are the anomalies in the system. I compliment the Department on the work it has done in this area and I look forward to the new legislation and to the policing that will take place in regard to pharmacies.

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