As part of the Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025, all parties agreed to introduce improved controls for phased dispensing. This will ensure that patients on high-risk medicines, such as anti-psychotics or opioids, are appropriately targeted with support.
The State has supported phased dispensing for medical card holders since 1996 for patient safety reasons and will continue to do so. Community pharmacies receive additional fees for this service. Phased dispensing means that the patient must attend the pharmacy multiple times per month (for example, weekly, twice weekly, or in some cases every day) to receive smaller quantities of their medication.
Phased dispensing and blister packing are not the same thing. The State has never funded blister packs. Therefore, there has been no removal of that service by the State. It remains a private service, and community pharmacies may decide to charge patients for providing this service.
However, the changes in phased dispensing fees have highlighted the broader use of blister packs.
The evidence and health policy on blister packs, including NICE guidance, and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society 2013 report, indicates that blister packs are not always the most appropriate choice for all patients to manage adherence and medication compliance. Internationally the guidance is that blister packs should be a last resort, with patients being supported by many other interventions before prescribing a blister pack.
Nevertheless, I recognise that for certain patients, using them can be helpful, and they rely heavily on these products. My Department officials are currently examining this issue as a matter of priority.
There are three groups of patients using blister packs. The first is those people who know they have always been paying for blister packs as a private service. The second group have been getting blister packs for free from their pharmacy. There should be no change for those two groups of patients.
The third group of patients are those where their pharmacy has been giving them blister packs for free but charging the State under phased dispensing. My Department officials and the HSE are investigating the details of this further.
The current pause on the planned changes to phased dispensing rules will facilitate community pharmacists to talk with their patients in an individualised manner, about the circumstances, specific to that patient.
Of course, it remains open to pharmacies to charge patients, or not, for the use of blister packs as a private service, as many currently do. It is important where a pharmacy charges a fee for any professional service, that they provide updated information to patients in line with the new Pricing Transparency Guidelines, which came into effect on 1st December 2025.
