The HSE is spending up to six times the cost of medicine for those on medical cards, with taxpayers footing the bill.

In 2014, it spent more than €20.5 million on aspirin, when the cost of the drug was just over €3.4 million.

The Sunday Business Post reports that more is paid in dispensing fees to pharmacists than the cost of the medicines themselves.

Of the €8million spent on paracetamol, €6 million was dispensing fees.

The next government is being urged by the medicines watchdog to consider cutting the fees paid to pharmacists.