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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 7 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 1

Written Answers. - Medical Cards.

Enda Kenny

Ceist:

100 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of medical card holders in County Mayo for each of the past five years; the costs incurred as a result of use of the medical cards; the number of items available under medical card coverage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3990/02]

The details requested by the Deputy are set out in the following tables:

1. Medical Cards for County Mayo

YEAR(as at 31 Dec)

No. of persons covered by medical cards

1997

56,384

1998

52,797

1999

51,787

2000

50,728

2001

50,999

2.Costs incurred nationally in payments to doctors and pharmacists under the GMS 1996-2000 (figures for 2001 not yet available).

YEAR

£m

(em)

1996

264.149

(335.400)

1997

283.414

(359.862)

1998

326.098

(414.059)

1999

348.452

(442.443)

2000

397.545

(504.778)

A varying number of approved prescribed medicines are available to medical card holders.
At present, 20,837,863 items are listed as having been dispensed to medical card holders for the ten month period January to October 2001. In 2000, on a full year basis, the number of items was 22,822,275.
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