Women in Ireland will be able to access hormone replacement therapy (HRT) free of charge at pharmacies from 1 June, following a long-awaited agreement between Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU).
The deal, announced on Friday, ends months of negotiations over how pharmacies would be compensated by the State for dispensing the service. The discussions, which featured prominently at the IPU’s annual conference earlier this month, had centred on a proposed €6.50 dispensing fee for pharmacists. Under the final agreement, a €5 fee has been settled upon, with further talks on broader pharmacy fee structures expected.
Minister MacNeill confirmed the deal in an interview with RTÉ News. “We’ve landed on €5,” she said. “We gave a couple of options — one was €5, the other was for pharmacies to charge what they chose, and I would give them a signing-up fee to do that. Everybody has had a chance to reflect.”
She urged pharmacies to enrol in the scheme quickly to ensure readiness by the 1 June start date. “From 1 June, women will be able to go in and get their HRT for free,” she said.
HRT is commonly prescribed to treat symptoms of menopause by replenishing hormone levels. It can also help in managing related health conditions such as osteoporosis and cardiovascular risk factors.
IPU president Tom Murray welcomed the resolution, saying the union’s priority had been ensuring access to vital treatment. “We are endorsing the scheme in good faith, backed by the broader commitments in this framework, including a review of the pharmacy fee structure,” he said in a statement.
However, the delay in reaching an agreement has drawn criticism. Social Democrats health spokesperson Pádraig Rice said the government had failed to meet its original promise to roll out free HRT by January. He called for reimbursement for women who have already spent money on the treatment this year.
“Women who rely on HRT have already spent, on average, hundreds of euro on this vital medication,” said Mr Rice. “If government promises are to mean anything, then this money should be reimbursed.”
The new scheme is part of a wider push to expand women’s health services and reduce healthcare costs. With the agreement now in place, pharmacies across Ireland are expected to begin preparations to implement the new policy in the coming weeks.
