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Irish Examiner
15 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Free HRT now available in over 1,600 pharmacies, says HSE
The HSE has published a list of pharmacies where women can access free hormone replacement therapy (HRT), with more than 1,600 already participating. The scheme launched on Sunday, though it was originally expected to begin in January. Women can now search by pharmacy name or address on the HSE website using a page titled Find a pharmacy offering free HRT. To avail of the service, women need a GP prescription and must first register for the Drugs Payment Scheme. Dr Clíona Murphy, national clinical director for the HSE National Women and Infants Health Programme, said many women experience debilitating symptoms during menopause. 'The symptoms, which are caused by changes in our hormones, can include hot flushes, night sweats, flushing, which can be distressing for people affected,' she said. 'Hormone replacement therapy is a medicine-based treatment which can really improve the quality of life for people experiencing symptoms. HRT helps to balance and replace the hormones that your body no longer produces in the same way.' She welcomed the fact that it is now free for those who need it, saying this gives people more options. 'The decision to take HRT should be made in consultation with your doctor,' she advised. Women can also register for the Drugs Payment Scheme on the HSE website. They must provide their name, date of birth, sex, PPS number, and contact details. The scheme also serves to track medications dispensed. Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said: 'this is a fantastic support for women and a significant milestone in our commitment to women's health'. She said the move is 'removing financial barriers and providing vital support during all stages of menopause' for women. 'I thank the Irish Pharmacy Union for their partnership in this initiative and those pharmacies right across Ireland that have signed up. I encourage women to log on to the HSE's pharmacy finder to locate their nearest participating pharmacy,' she said. Last month the IPU backed the new plans for a free HRT rollout having described an earlier scheme as unviable. IPU president Tom Murray said: 'Our main priority with the HRT Scheme has been to ensure women receive the medication they need without cost. 'We are endorsing the scheme in good faith, backed by the broader commitments in this framework, including a review of the pharmacy fee structure.'
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- Health
- RTÉ News
87% of pharmacies sign up to free HRT scheme
The President of the Irish Pharmacy Union has said 87% of pharmacies had signed up to the free hormone replacement therapy (HRT) scheme as of Friday afternoon. Tom Murray said that he anticipated more pharmacies will have signed up over the weekend and into next week, and that it will eventually reach 100% coverage. Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, is a treatment that involves taking hormones to address menopausal symptoms, and which can help to manage related health conditions. Pharmacies were set to start providing free HRT for women from 1 June after an agreement with Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill last month. The IPU endorsed the scheme following Government commitments including a review of the pharmacy fee structure. Mr Murray said that pharmacists have always wanted to support women's health and want improved access to women's health. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said that previous issues that were putting pharmacists off signing up for the scheme had been resolved. He acknowledged the Minister for Health for moving this forward and making it free. Mr Murray advised non-medical card holders to sign up for the drug payment scheme to get the medicine, and for women interested in finding out more about the scheme to speak to their pharmacist.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Women in Ireland can avail of free HRT treatment from today
The medicine-based treatment for symptoms of menopaurse, perimenopause and postmenopause will now be available for free when HRT has been deemed clinically appropriate and is prescribed by a healthcare provider. People without medical cards who wish to avail of free HRT will also have to register for a Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) card. A tool for finding which pharmacies are taking part in the free HRT scheme has also been created by the HSE. €20 million in funding for the introduction of the scheme was included as part of Budget 2025. The free HRT scheme was originally planned to be rolled out in January after the former Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced the passing of legislation paving the way for the scheme last year, but it was met with delays. Successful talks involving the Government and pharmacists earlier this year paved the way for the scheme to go ahead. Last month, there was confirmation the free HRT scheme would be going ahead following negotiations between the Department of Health and the Irish Pharmacists Union (IPU), with the IPU agreeing to endorse the scheme. Pharmacists had rejected a €5 dispensing fee for HRT products and said the fee was unsustainable, and the Government has since agreed to cover the fee. In order to incentivise pharmacies to sign up to the scheme, Government will also give each participating pharmacy a one-off €1,000 grant for the establishment of the scheme. HRT treatment was already free to medical card holders but is now available free to all women, saving between €30 and €70 per month. ADVERTISEMENT The products have also been subject to shortages both in Ireland and abroad. "Free HRT is available for women from today, Sunday, June 1, at participating pharmacies all over Ireland. This is a fantastic support for women and a significant milestone in our commitment to women's health,' Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said. 'From today, every woman in Ireland has free access to both essential HRT products and the dispensing fees, removing financial barriers and providing vital support during all stages of menopause. 'I thank the Irish Pharmacy Union for their partnership in this initiative and those pharmacies right across Ireland that have signed up. I encourage women to log on to the HSE's pharmacy finder to locate their nearest participating pharmacy.'
Times of Oman
5 days ago
- Business
- Times of Oman
Speaker Om Birla to lead Indian delegation to BRICS Forum in Brazil on June 3
New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will lead an Indian Parliamentary Delegation (IPD) to the Eleventh BRICS Parliamentary Forum to be held in Brasilia, Brazil on June 3-5 as per an official statement. The delegation will also comprise Harivansh, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha; Surendra Singh Nagar, Member of Parliament; Vijay Baghel, Member of Parliament; Vivek Thakur, Member of Parliament; Shabari Byreddy, Member of Parliament; Utpal Kumar Singh, Secretary General, Lok Sabha; and P.C. Mody, Secretary General, Rajya Sabha. According to the release, the overall theme of the Eleventh BRICS Parliamentary Forum is 'The Role of BRICS Parliaments in Building a More Inclusive and Sustainable, Global Governance'. Presiding Officers and Members of Parliament from BRICS countries (Brasil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran) and invited nations-- Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Nigeria, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan--along with the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) H.E. Ms. Tulia Ackson will also participate in the Forum meetings. The Lok Sabha Speaker will address the forums on 'Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation for Responsible and Inclusive Artificial Intelligence' and 'BRICS Parliaments United for the Reform of the multilateral peace and security architecture'. According to the release, the Delegation will also participate in the proceedings during the Plenary Sessions on the sub-themes including 'BRICS Parliamentary Action in Search of New Paths for Economic Development'; 'Towards Stronger and More Durable BRICS Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation'; 'BRICS Inter-Parliamentary Alliance for Global Health'; 'BRICS Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue on Climate and Sustainability'. A Joint Statement will be adopted at the end of the Summit. The Speaker, Lok Sabha may also hold bilateral meetings with Presiding Officers of participating Parliaments on the sidelines of this Forum.
The Journal
6 days ago
- Health
- The Journal
Delay to plans to have pharmacies prescribe for UTIs, thrush, and coldsores in Ireland
PLANS TO HAVE pharmacies across Ireland prescribing medications for common conditions including uncomplicated urinary tract infections, vulvovaginal thrush, cold sores and other common conditions have been delayed. The then-Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said in August last year that it was his department's intention that pharmacies would be prescribing for eight common conditions by the start of 2025. Now an implementation oversight group is working towards a date 'by the end of 2025″ for delivering the so-called 'common conditions service' in pharmacies. The Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has made it clear that completing this work this year, and to see pharmacies begin to provide this service within the year is a matter of priority for her. A spokesperson for the Department of Health said that an oversight group is currently working to finalise the clinical protocols, education and training for pharmacists, a package of required regulations, and operational aspects of the service. The Irish Pharmacists Union (IPU) warned in August of 2024 that there was considerable work to be done before the scope of the work done in pharmacies could be expanded. In August of last year Tom Murray, the President of the IPU, said that community pharmacists were effectively being paid less than they were in 2009 and that it was not 'acceptable' for the Department to layer on new schemes to an 'already underfunded and resourced group of healthcare professionals'. Advertisement A spokesperson for the IPU told The Journal that the move to have pharmacies prescribe for common conditions was on foot of a recommendation of an expert taskforce to expand of the role of pharmacists in Ireland. The Minister for Health then set up a community pharmacy expansion implementation oversight group made up of representatives from the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive, the IPU, the Health Products Regulatory Authority and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland. The IPU said that the work of this group is still ongoing with the aim of having all enablers to support the delivery of a common conditions service in place by the year end. Pharmacies have been able to prescribe for common conditions like UTIs, which often see women in particular requiring antibiotics, since 2023. The original taskforce was established in July of 2023, consisting of 13 experts who represented many of the main stakeholders involved, and it delivered its final report in August 2024. Its report said that pharmacies should be able to prescribe for allergic rhinitis, cold sores, conjunctivitis, impetigo, oral thrush, shingles, uncomplicated UTIs and vulvovaginal thrush. The then-Minister for Health said that the move would alleviate pressure on GPs – one of the key aims of the Sláintecare health reform strategy. It would also potentially see a lesser cost attached to treating common health conditions, including those that can impact some women and men on a recurring basis, such as UTIs and thrush. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
