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Transplant patient's €11,000 medical bill 24.04.08

by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent

A BUNCRANA heart transplant recipient who faces a €10,800 annual medicine bill has urged the HSE to open discussions with pharmacists to end their ongoing dispute.
Medical card holder Donna Porter called to her local pharmacy in Buncrana last Friday and found out that her heart medicine will, from May 1, cost her €940 a month.

"I was shocked. I thought my medicine would cost €200 or €300 a month. The two anti-rejection tablets, the ones that I need to live, are going to cost €780 for a month's dose," said the local mother.
"The HSE would need to sit down with the pharmacists and resolve this because it's going to be very serious for people like me. You don't mind paying for medicine every once in a while, say if you child is sick, but I'm getting a lone parent's allowance and that wouldn't cover the cost of my medicine now."
Ms. Porter, who had a heart transplant in January 2006, said she'll go back to the
Donna Porter with just some of the medicine she needs each month.
pharmacy at the end of April for a free prescription that will last her to the end of May. Since March 1, HSE payments to pharmacists for wholesale drugs have been cut by 8%, saving the HSE €100m a year. It has left pharmacists complaining that their businesses will be affected. Hundreds of pharmacies have since stated their intention to withdraw from the General Medical Scheme from May 1. The Buncrana woman blames the Government. "I just think the Government is getting too greedy. It's obvious they didn't consider people with long-term health problems when they decided to (cut pharmacists drug payments).
I don't think they thought it through," added Ms. Porter who gets married on May 30. click here
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