Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 450: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her plans to change the drugs payment scheme to reflect 52 weeks in the calendar year rather than the 12 monthly calendar year. [2291/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The current position in relation to the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) is that no more than 12 payments should be made by a family or individual in a full year on medication for use in any calendar month. The Health Service Executive primary care reimbursement service, formerly the GMS (payments) board, which is responsible for reimbursing community pharmacists under the DPS, advised all community pharmacists in 1999 on the establishment of the DPS that no more than 12 payments should be made in a year. However, once in a 12-month period or periodically, more than a 28 day supply may be provided, depending on the drugs and medicines, to ensure that no more than 12 payments are made in a year by an individual or a family. I have no plans to amend the terms of the DPS to introduce an additional threshold period, as proposed by the Deputy