Written answers

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

Department of Health

Prescription Charges

Photo of Michael MoynihanMichael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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345. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to reduce the prescription charges for elderly persons, in view of the fact that they have increased from €0.50 to €2.50 under this Government, despite promises to the contrary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19560/15]

Photo of Kathleen LynchKathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Prescription charges are part of a set of measures introduced by Government in recent years to reduce pharmaceutical drugs expenditure. Medical card holders are required to pay a prescription charge of €2.50 per item for medicines and other prescription items supplied to them by community pharmacists, subject to a cap of €25 per month for each person or family. Prescription charges do not apply to children in the care of the Health Service Executive or to methadone supplied to patients participating in the Methadone Treatment Scheme.

There are no plans to amend the prescription charge, however, I am pleased that the prescription charge is frozen at the level set in 2014 as was announced as part of the packet of health measures in Budget 2015.

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