ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY PHARMACY SCHEME

That this House notes the importance of local pharmacies as a community cornerstone, and as a vital service for the most vulnerable in the community; believes that the best way to do this is to create an Essential Community Pharmacy Scheme to fund the purchase of prescription drugs up front, rather than leaving local pharmacies out of pocket until the end of the month; and urges the Government to shield local community pharmacies from the high costs demanded by the big drug companies.