Vol. 549 No. 2
112 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason it is still not possible for medical card holders who are prescribed medication in hospitals, as in the case of a hospital (details supplied) in Dublin 9, to obtain their medication free of charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6265/02]
A medical card holder prescribed a drug in a hospital by a doctor or consultant must also have the prescription signed by his or her general medical services doctor. The prescription can then be dispensed by a pharmacy which holds a community pharmacy contractor agreement. As hospital pharmacies do not hold such contracts and hospital doctors do not have GMS numbers they cannot dispense drugs or medicines directly to medical card holders.
