The Labour Party today condemned new prescription charges for medical card holders as a measure directly targeting the poor and the sick.
The vast majority of the State’s 1.5 million medical card holders start paying for their medicines for the first time from today in the form of a 50 cent per item prescription charge.
Pharmacists, who opposed the introduction of the charge, have warned it will cause hardship for many patients, and could result in some not taking essential medication.
In a statement, Labour health spokeswoman Jan O'Sullivan said the new levy could be increased at any time by Minister for Health Mary Harney "with the stroke of a pen".
"This may not look like a big amount to the Minister and her advisers, but it is another hole in the budgets of those who have to live on €196 per week, including disabled, blind unemployed and widowed people," she said.
"International evidence on the impact of a prescription levy indicates that it places a financial barrier on the poorest in the community in terms of accessing vital medicines and has a negative effect on the health of the population. Because of this, they have been abolished in a number of countries including Northern Ireland and Wales."
The Labour frontbencher said it was typical of the Government that it had fast-tracked the measure "and put on the long finger the legislation to replace prescription drugs with generics, which will save a much larger amount of money".
In a statement, Darragh O’Loughlin, president of the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), said his organisation agreed wastage of medicines is a problem but did not believe imposing a levy on prescription medicines for medical card holders was the best way to tackle it.
“This levy will cause hardship to many patients, particularly the homeless and those living in sheltered accommodation, and may even prevent certain patients from taking their medicines entirely," he said.
"We would call on the Minister for Health and Children to exempt certain patient groups from paying the levy, including homeless patients, patients in sheltered accommodation and patients in nursing homes.”
Age Action also criticised the introduction of prescription charges and the electricity levy from today.
“The Government must reverse these new charges as a matter of urgency because of the impact which they will have on the poorest and sickest of older people,” Age Action spokesman Eamon Timmins said.
The organisation noted the Government’s expert committee had questioned if the prescription charges would even cover the cost of administering the scheme. The charity is concerned that the charges may discourage low income older people on multiple medications from taking necessary medication.
“We have always believed that this is pointless charge which has potential to damage public health for no economic gain - it is not too late to reverse it,” Mr Timmins said.
The charge will particularly affect long-term and heavy users of prescription medicines, although it is subject to a cap of €10 per month for each family.
Some categories of patient are exempt from the charge, such as hepatitis C patients, children in the care of the HSE, and those on the long-term illness scheme and high-tech drugs.
However, the IPU pointed out yesterday that exemptions do not apply to many vulnerable groups.
The measure, which is expected to raise €24 million a year, was announced in last year’s budget and is being implemented on foot of legislation passed this year.
Minister for Health Mary Harney has said the charge is needed to raise money and to discourage “over-prescribing and the overuse of medication”.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen defended the charge in the Dáil last July, noting that the McCarthy report on public expenditure cuts had recommended a €5 prescription charge.
Pharmacists are obliged by law to collect the levy.