Search
02 Oct 2025
Search
02 Oct 2025
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
O'Donovan's CarePlus pharmacy in the Church Road shopping centre in Tullamore
TULLAMORE pharmacist John O'Donovan will close his shop in the Church Road shopping centre next month and consolidate the limited availability of qualified staff to the Arden Road branch.
The chemist in the Church Road centre (known locally as the Dunnes Stores shopping centre) was opened by Mr O'Donovan 34 years ago.
He subsequently established a CarePlus pharmacy in a new building on the Arden Road. In an advertisement published in this week's Tribune O'Donovan's CarePlus Pharmacy says: “We are moving! After 34 years of serving the community at our Church Road Branch we will close on Friday August 4. You'll find us at our Arden Road Branch (right opposite the Hospital) where we're open 7 days a week, including late night till 9pm Monday to Friday! We look forward to welcoming you there!”
Community pharmacists have come under increasing pressure in recent years and have indicated they will be forced to reduce their opening hours.
The issue was highlighted recently by Deputy Carol Nolan, the Independent TD for Laois-Offaly, who has engaged with the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU).
The IPU said since the introduction of FEMPI (Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) by the Government in 2009, community pharmacy is the only healthcare sector which has had no pay restoration.
Deputy Nolan said: “In the last number of weeks I have been contacted by a significant number of community pharmacists from within Laois-Offaly but also from rural pharmacists in a number of other counties.”
She called on Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to take immediate steps to restore pay and prescribing rates which have been frozen for the last number of years.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
