Michael Ferris
Question:133 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Health if the holder of the drugs card which entitles applicants to £32 free drugs each month, can have other family prescribed drugs included on the same card.
Written Answers. - Drug Cost Subsidisation Scheme.
The drug cost subsidisation scheme, to which I presume the Deputy is referring, operates on the basis that a person with a medical condition who is certified by his general practitioner or consultant as having a requirement for continuing medication costing in excess of £32 per month, will be issued with an authorisation card by his local Health Board.
This ensures that where people have expenditure on prescribed drugs and medicines they will not have to pay more than £32 in any month at the pharmacy counter. Any expenditure in excess of this amount is claimed by the pharmacist from the GMS payments board.
Family members are not included in the authorisation card but where any family member has expenditure on prescribed drugs and medicines, and wishes to claim under the drugs refund scheme, expenditure by the card holder under the drug cost subsidisation scheme will be taken into account in determining the amount of the refund to that family.