Pharmacy Services

Thursday, 19 February 2026

Questions (606)

Ken O'Flynn

Question:

606. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has assessed the administrative burden placed on community pharmacies in circumstances where substitute reimbursement must be individually queried with the Primary Care Reimbursement Service; whether any review has been undertaken of processing times, approval rates or rejected applications in such cases over the past three years; and if she will provide the findings of any such review. [13655/26]

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Written answers

Minister for Health (Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill)

The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the administrative burden placed on community pharmacies arising from requirements to query substitute reimbursement with the Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS) on an individual case basis. Likewise, no review has been carried out of processing times, approval rates, or rejected applications relating to such reimbursement queries over the past three years, and therefore no findings are available.

Community pharmacies operate within the administrative and reimbursement processes overseen by the HSE’s PCRS, including the validation of reimbursement claims and assessment of eligibility and dispensing limits under the Community Drug Schemes.

More broadly, engagement with the sector continues through mechanisms such as the Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025, which aims to support the modernisation and efficient operation of pharmacy services.