Medical card chaos
With an estimated 3000 people in Donegal waiting on medical cards, pharmacies across Inishowen are being inundated with people appealing for help.
They say people in dire need of medicines who are awaiting cards are coming in to them looking for supplies, but, in many cases, cannot afford the high prices for medication. That’s creat major problems.
Local pharmacist, Brennans, with shops in Buncrana, Clonmany and Carndonagh, told the ‘Journal’ they are stuck between a “rock and a hard place” as the list of people without medical cards grows.
“There is obviously an overwhelming backlog in medical card applications in Dublin,” said pharmacist manager in the Buncrana store, Aaron Carlise.
“I have one customer who is in his 80s and, obviously entitled to a medical card, coming in regularly to get essential medication, but without a medical card we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. We don’t want to see anyone stuck. I have rung up the department in November, December and January for him and each time I am told it is being processed, no explanation, nothing.”
Mr Carlise says the backlog is causing undue concern for a lot of older people: “We try our best to facilitate people where possible, and sometimes we have to supply them with medication and refund it back to the HSE but that’s not sustainable in the long run.
“Some medications are astronomical prices, many might have to spend around a couple hundred euro each month on tablets and if they can’t afford it what can we do, it’s definitely a difficult situation.”
The Buncrana based pharmacist believes it is people who were previously private patients but due to a change in their financial situation are now entitled to medical cards who are the worst affected.
In a joint statement Colin Deeney, in Carn, and Paul O’Hea in Inish Pharmacy, Muff, said: “We try and help a patient out as we do not want to see anyone stuck. We are aware many patients find it difficult financially while they await their medical card. However that is unsustainable in the long term - so it is always good to see the patient’s medical card come though! It is very difficult for the patient.”)
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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