Under the terms of the general medical services scheme, a medical card holder can only attend a doctor who has a general medical services contract and medications prescribed for a medical card holder must be so prescribed by a general medical services scheme doctor.
A recent agreement with the Irish Medical Organisation, effective from 1 March 1999, provides that a person awarded a new medical card can opt to remain with his or her doctor, providing that the doctor concerned meets certain requirements, for example as respects length of practice, and applies to his or her health board for a general medical services scheme contract under the provisions of the agreement.
As a result of these new arrangements, persons awarded medical cards will now, in most cases, be free to remain with their doctor of long standing.