However, unlike Boots who are changing their entire organisation to this scheme, Touchstone will offer their customers a choice of staying on the old pricing scheme or moving to Touchstone Clear, as this flat fee can actually work out more expensive for people who are purchasing cheaper drugs, which does not make financial sense.   However the scheme will save money for those with expensive pharmacy bills.  

For example:

Ingredient cost       Mark up under old scheme         Mark up under new scheme
€10                       €10+ 20% +€3.50 = €15.50            €10 + €7 = €17 (more expensive)
€15                       €15+ 20% +€3.50 = €21.50            €15 + €7 = €22 (more expensive)
€20                       €20+ 20% +€3.50 = €27.50            €20 + €7 = €27         (cheaper)
€30                       €30+ 20% + €3.50 = €39.50           €30 + €7 = €37 (cheaper)

Therefore as the ingredients cost of your drug gets more expensive, it is better value to be on the Boots Plan or Touchstone Clear.   

Commenting on the introduction of the new scheme, Fergus Hoban, proprietor of Touchstone, said, “We are supportive of the Boots scheme, which will see the introduction of a new way of pricing prescriptions with a fixed fee mark up on all drugs, as this is a huge movement forward for the consumer in difficult times”.

“We are matching what Boot’s now offer and we are even going a step further, as we will offer the best of both worlds for the benefit of the consumer. Touchstone Pharmacy will only advise customers to go on the Touchstone Clear plan if the ingredient cost of their drug is more expensive and it makes financial sense for them to do so.  This is much fairer to patients who, through no fault of their own, end up having to use a medicine that has a high ingredient cost.
“We will recommend that patients with a low ingredient cost stay on their old price, which is better value. In other words, Touchstone Clear is a low cost option but it’s not the only option.”

“The new pricing approach is much clearer, and much fairer, which is why we are calling the scheme Touchstone Clear. The scheme will be available to all members of Touchstone, through our membership scheme, Touchstone Connect. Touchstone Connect is free to join, and brings this and many other membership benefits, along with our commitment to ensuring that our members have the lowest possible costs for their medication at all times.”

If you are still confused, Touchstone Pharmacy are inviting you to call in and they will explain the two options on paper so you can pick the one that is cheapest for you.

Touchstone Pharmacy is located at Blackrock Hall Primary Care Centre beside the Aldi on Skehard Road.
 
Editors Notes:

Current pricing structure:

• The cost of the drug to pharmacies (the ingredient cost)
• A mark-up of 20% on this ingredient cost (an old-fashioned way of doing it, from when pharmacy was shop-keeping)
• A fee of €3.50 for professional service

Touchstone Clear (and the Boots scheme) replaces this with the following charges:

• The cost of the drug to pharmacies (the ingredient cost)
• No mark-up (because pharmacy is NOT shop-keeping)
• A fee of €7 for professional services

www.touchstone.ie