144. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Health the number of claims by pharmacies in each of the years 2016 to 2018 for non-dispensing fees in cases in which the pharmacist exercised his or her professional judgment and did not dispense an item on a GMS prescription; the amount paid in non-dispensing fees in each of those years; and the value of the non-dispensed medicines in respect of these claims for non-dispensing in each year in tabular form. [49496/19]

Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.