Government Schemes explained:

GP VISIT CARD:

Even if you don’t qualify for a medical card you may be entitled to a GP visit card which will allow you to visit your GP for free, To qualify you must meet specific income guidelines. You must also be considered a resident of Ireland.

The GP Visit card only covers your visit to your doctor. Prescription medicines are not free.

UNDER 6 CARD

Free GP care is now available to all children under 6. Parents need to apply for the scheme and will then receive a card for each child which remains valid until the child is 6. Again this covers the GP fees only and does not cover prescription charges.

MEDICAL CARD

If you are entitled to a medical card you are entitled to you GP visits AND your prescription charges to be covered by this scheme. As of January 2018, the charge on medical card prescriptions has been reduced to 2 euros per item and is capped at an upper limit of 20 euros per month for you and all your family (if they too have medical card entitlements)

DRUG PAYMENT SCHEME CARD

Under to Drug Payment Scheme you must pay a max of 134 euros per month (as of January 2018)

For approved medicines and certain appliances. In order to qualify for this scheme you must be an Irish resident. Your spouse/partner and children under 18 or under 23 and in full-times education are also covered under this scheme. Each individual in the family will be issued with their own card which should be registered with the pharmacy so they are linked. Payment for all individuals collectively will then be capped at 134 euros.

Pharmacies are not linked so you must stick to the one pharmacy per calendar month. If you end up paying more than 134 euros by having had to use an alternate pharmacy, a refund can be claimed back from your local health office. this DPS REFUND form can be downloaded online.

LONG TERM ILLNESS CARD

Under Section 59 of the Health act 1970 people suffering from certain conditions can get free drugs, medicines and medical and surgical appliances for the treatment of that condition –  this scheme is known as the Long-Term Illness Scheme.  This scheme is not means tested,

Medical Conditions that qualify:

Mental handicap, Mental illness ( if under 16) Diabetes Insipidus, Diabetes mellitus, Haemophilia, Cerebral Palsy, Phenylketonuria, Epilepsy, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis, Spina Bifida, Muscular Dystrophies, Hydrocephalus, Parkinsonism, Acute leukaemia, Conditions arising from use of Thalidomide.

You will receive a long-term illness book. This book will list the medicines which are covered – these medicines will be provided to you free of charge. Other drugs you may require which aren’t covered by the scheme will need to be paid for in the normal way.

PRESCRIPTION DELIVERY SERVICE:

Do you know we can deliver your prescription to you at no extra charge?

Phone us instore for details 021- 4273900

PRESCRIPTION STORAGE FACILITY

If you have a repeat prescription we are happy to keep your prescription on file for you. You can just phone ahead and call in and we will have ready for you… This means you don’t have to waste time waiting!

GENERICS

Nowadays a vast number of generics are available in the Irish market. These are perfectly safe copies of original brand drugs which are now being manufactured by many different companies. They become available on the market when the original brand goes off patent allowing other companies to make the same product. More and more customers are now requesting generic substitution as it is more cost effective yet just as effective and safe.