General Medical Services Scheme Administration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2013

Tuesday, 16 April 2013

Questions (1345)

Robert Troy

Question:

1345. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions (details supplied) if he will clarify a matter (details further supplied) [17708/13]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Alex White)

The General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme and the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) are separate schemes with separate qualifying criteria.

Under the GMS Scheme, medical card holders are required to pay a €1.50 charge per item for medicines and other prescription items supplied to them by community pharmacists, subject to a cap of €19.50 per month for each person or family. Prescription charges do not apply to children in the care of the HSE or to methadone supplied to patients participating in the Methadone Treatment Scheme.

Under the DPS, no individual or family pays more than €144 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The scheme significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals incurring ongoing expenditure on medicines.

There is no provision for a family in the circumstances mentioned by the Deputy to claim a refund of the prescription charge from the DPS because, as advised from the outset, the GMS Scheme and the DPS are separate schemes with separate qualifying criteria.