Vol. 427 No. 7
38 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the high cost of providing medicines for persons with asthma; and if he will modify the rules under which assistance with the cost of medicines can be obtained by asthmatics, particularly in view of the effectiveness of drugs in preventing the far more expensive hospitalisation of such patients.
Persons with conditions such as asthma who in the opinion of the chief executive officer of the appropriate health board are unable to meet their medical expenses, without undue hardship, may be granted a medical card which will entitle them to the supply of all drugs and medicines and general practitioner services free of charge.
Other persons with an ongoing medical condition, such as asthma, which imposes a requirement for continuous medication, can benefit under the terms of the drug cost subsidisation scheme. This scheme limits the actual expenditure of authorised beneficiaries, on prescribed medicines, to £32 per month. This scheme is being availed of by many persons who suffer from asthma and the take up in the scheme emphasises the benefits of the scheme for asthmatics in particular.
