Pharmacists Warn Of Methadone Scheme Collapse

Pharmacists are warning the country’s methadone treatment scheme could collapse. The Irish Pharmaceutical Union says the State’s medicines schemes – including the methadone treatment used to wean heroin addicts off the street version of the drug – could come to an end if the HSE doesn’t review fees paid to its members.

Around 2.5 million patients around the country currently take part in these programmes, and the IPU says pharmacists are operating the schemes at a loss.

Union spokesman Diarmuid Twomey said that they’re very concerned about this issue, and has called for urgent talks with the HSE on it.