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Army personnel unable to access emergency tablets

The Medical Corps will not reimburse the cost of medication for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) obtained out-of-hours by military personnel, under a new contract with pharmacies.

The Defence Forces arelooking to set up contracts with local pharmacies across the country to provide emergency pharmaceutical services to members of the Permanent Defence Force and the Army Reserves when the nearest military pharmacy is closed.

The pharmacies will supply medications when the military pharmacist is on leave and during out-of-hours, which runs from 4.30pm on weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday.

The Medical Corps has informed interested pharmacies that it will reimburse costs associated with any item that has a GMS code ‘except’ for medication for the treatment of erectile dysfunction and nicotine replacement therapy.

Herbal products, vitamin supplements and vaccinations will also not be reimbursed.
A spokesperson for the Defence Forces told IMT that it was not ‘normal policy’ to provide medication for erectile dysfunction, but in cases where there was a requirement, it was supplied through military pharmacies only.

It is estimated that more than 100,000 Irish men suffer from ED. Under the medical card scheme, patients are allowed four tablets of Sildenafil Citrate (Viagra) per month.
The total bill for erectile dysfunction drugs for medical card holders was E3.8 million in 2007 with some E2.38 million alone spent on Sildenafil Citrate.

Posted in News on 15 October 2009
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