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Drugs Payment Scheme.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 December 2004

Wednesday, 8 December 2004

Questions (82)

Seán Haughey

Question:

82 Mr. Haughey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason the figure used to avail of free medicines under the drugs refund scheme is increased regularly; the number of times it has increased since 1997; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32621/04]

View answer

Written answers

Prior to 1 July 1999, people with an ongoing condition were able to avail of the drug cost subsidisation scheme which catered for people who were certified as having a medical condition with a regular and ongoing requirement for prescribed drugs and medicines. People who qualified for inclusion in this scheme did not have to pay more than £32 in any month on prescribed medication. Under the drug refund scheme, families and individuals paid the full cost of their prescription medicines and, at the end of each quarter, could claim reimbursement from their health board for expenditure over £90 in that calendar quarter. The threshold for these schemes did not change between June 1997 and July 1999.

With effect from 1 July 1999 the drug payment scheme replaced the drug cost subsidisation scheme and the drug refund scheme with a monthly threshold of £42 or €53.33. Under this scheme, no individual or family paid more than £42 per month for approved prescribed drugs and medicines for use in that month.

The DPS has provided a fairer and more user friendly system than the previous schemes, particularly through the provision of monthly medicine budgeting for families, and has produced significantly greater overall benefit for patients. It introduced full reimbursement, at point of supply, of the cost of approved drugs above the monthly threshold. In line with quality customer service principles, there was no longer any need to pay first and then reclaim this expenditure from the health board and, unlike the DCSS, everybody was eligible for the DPS.

The total reimbursement to patients under the DRS and the DCSS in 1998 was £75 million in the last full year of operation. In contrast, the DPS benefited patients by £110.73 million or €140 million in 2000, the first full year of operation, and this cost has increased to €204 million in 2003, the latest figure available.

The following table sets out the dates on which the thresholds increased and the new thresholds:

Date of increase

New threshold

1 July 1999

£42 (€53.33)

1 August 2002

€65

1 January 2003

€70

1 January 2004

€78

The threshold for the DPS will be increased to €85 with effect from 1 January 2005.

My Department appreciates the concerns raised about the increases in the DPS threshold and has carefully considered the issues involved. However, I hope the Deputy will agree that, given the need to prioritise health spending in order to maximise the benefit over a wide range of pressing expenditure options, the aggregate benefits to its clients of the scheme over its predecessor's and balancing this with the greatly increased expenditure on the scheme, an increase of €8 in the threshold is not excessive.

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