Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 May 2016
461. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health why families where one person only in the household has a medical card have to pay the €25 prescription charges for the medical card holder, in addition to the €144 prescription charges under the drugs payment scheme, resulting in the monthly prescription charges for such families being €169. [11527/16]
View answerThe General Medical Services (GMS) and Drugs Payment (DPS) Schemes are separate schemes with separate qualifying criteria and entitlements, which are not transferable.
Under the GMS, medical card holders pay a €2.50 charge per item for medicines and other prescription items supplied to them by community pharmacists. There is a cap of €25 per month for each person or family for items provided under this scheme.
There is no prescription charge for items dispensed under the DPS. Under this scheme an individual or family pays the first €144 for approved medicines and other prescription items each month, with any cost above that threshold paid by the State.
Prescription charges will be considered in the context of the implementation of the Health commitments in the Programme for Government and having regard to the funding available to facilitate such measures.
