Máire Geoghegan-Quinn
Ceist:15 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health if he will adopt a national asthma treatment programme as asthma is set to be the disease of the 1990s, with a 15 per cent rise in cases each year. [9451/95]
Written Answers. - Asthma Treatment Programme.
Limerick East): A comprehensive treatment service is available for people with conditions such as asthma incorporating hospital and general practitioner services and assistance towards the cost of prescribed medicines.
The major form of treatment for asthma at present is drug therapy. The General Medical Services Scheme provides without charge general practitioner services, drugs, medicines and appliances to persons covered by medical cards. Approximately 36 per cent of the population are at present covered by medical cards.
Where an individual or a family is subjected to a significant level of on-going expenditure on medical expenses — general practitioner fees, prescribed drugs etc. — due to a long term medical condition, these expenses may be reckoned in determining eligibility for a medical card. In some cases a medical card may be issued to a family member on a personal basis. Eligibility for a medical card is solely a matter for the chief executive officer of the relevant health board to decide.
In the case where a particular child or member of a family is incurring heavy expenditure due to their asthma condition, the chief executive officer may grant a medical card to cover that child or individual, rather than issuing a card to cover the whole family.
Persons who suffer from an on-going medical condition can avail of the drug cost subsidisation scheme which caters for people who do not have a medical card and are certified as having a long term medical condition such as asthma with a regular and on-going requirement for prescribed drugs and medicines in excess of an amount per month, currently £32.
Persons who qualify for inclusion in this scheme will not have to spend more than £32 in any month on prescribed medication.
Under the drugs refund scheme which covers expenditure by the whole family, any expenditure on prescribed medication above £90 in a calendar quarter is refunded by the health board.
I am satisfied that appropriate and comprehensive treatment and support is being provided to asthma patients on a nationwide basis through the existing range of services and support schemes which I have outlined.