Irish healthcare body increases drugs wholesale mark-ups, following Court ruling

摘要

Following a High Court Ruling issued in September 2008, the Irish Health Services Executive (HSE) has upgraded the wholesale markup, which it pays to pharmacies for reimbursed medicines, from 8% to the previous level of 17.66%. The reinstated wholesale margin will apply to medicines dispensed on or after 1 October 2008.The HSE is a state institution responsible for providing health services in the Republic of Ireland. The body reimburses contracted pharmacies for medicines purchased from wholesalers and supplied under various community drugs schemes, including the medical card scheme, where a number of drugs are dispensed to patients free of charge. The HSE reimbursed these costs to pharmacies at the ex-factory price, increased by a wholesale margin calculated on the basis of this ex-factory price. Until last year the official wholesale mark up was set at 17.66%. Pharmacies also receive a dispensing fee in the region of E2.85-E3.27 per medicine.