Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 October 2015
570. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Health if a general practitioner is entitled to charge for issuing a prescription for a child who qualifies under the under-six medical card scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34587/15]
View answerSection 10 of the Under-6 GP Contract provides that the Medical Practitioner shall provide for Child Patients under 6 years all proper and necessary services to meet patient needs which are of a kind usually undertaken by a General Practitioner and/or his/her staff in a general practice setting and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which General Practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess.
Section 13 of the Under-6 Contract also states that the Medical Practitioner shall prescribe such drugs and medicines as he/she considers clinically necessary for any Child Patient for whom he/she is obliged to provide services, having regard to patient safety and clinical effectiveness considerations.
GPs that hold Under-6 contracts with the HSE must not seek or accept money in respect of Under-6 GP visit card holders for services covered under the Under-6 GP Contract.
