The Pharmacy of Your Choice (POYC) scheme is being expanded to include an additional 120 patients who need specific care due to the rarity of their conditions, Minister for Health Chris Fearne said.

Speaking at a pharmacy in Paola, Fearne explained that the €2.5 million expansion of the scheme will allow these individuals to be able to pick up their medicine not only from Mater Dei Hospital but also their community pharmacy.

The POYC scheme is currently in use by 140,000 patients in the database, is spread around 220 various pharmacies, moves 250 million items a year, and has €28 million of government funds allotted to it.

Approximately 5,000 new patient slips are issued every month, and Fearne explained that the IT system drastically cuts down on patients’ paperwork and allows doctors to update medical information in real-time.

The scheme had started off with less pharmacies on the list from where medicines could be picked up, but it has now expanded to the 220 mentioned.

A legal notice was put forward a year and a half ago in order for the aforementioned 120 individuals’ situations to be examined, and as a result of that they will be receiving the medication that they need.