Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 1 May 1969

Vol. 240 No. 3

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Issue of Prescriptions by Chemists.

47.

asked the Minister for Health if he has received proposals from Cork Health Authority seeking approval for medical card holders to get presecriptions from local chemists where dispensary medical officers refuse to provide medicines.

I have received the proposals referred to by the Deputy. I am reconsidering them at the request of the Health Authority members.

Would the Minister not agree to the proposals taking into consideration the grave hardship for medical card holders who are in difficulties with their dispensary medical officer, either on their own account or the medical officers' account, and thereby cannot get, in the first instance, attendance, and in the second place, drugs and medicines in a number of cases? Will the Minister take into account the high cost of such medicines? As a result, people, not only in Cork, but I am sure throughout the country, who are medical card holders have to do without the medicine at the present time. That is what the Cork Health Authority had in mind when approving of this recommendation.

I was not aware that medical card holders had to do without drugs. At any rate I will certainly examine carefully the proposals of the Cork Health Authority and will take a decision as soon as possible.

Barr
Roinn