Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

296. To ask the Minister for Health the staus of the prescription charge and the maximum payment allowable when two spouses have different doctors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3957/16]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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. For the purposes of the administration of the charges, a family is defined as a person, their spouse/partner, and (if it applies) any children under 16 years of age and (if it applies) any children between 16 and 21 years of age who are in full time education.

The HSE issues refunds automatically on a quarterly basis, if an individual or family pays more than €25 in a month, based on the information received from the pharmacy. Applying for refunds can be avoided if a family visits a single pharmacy and the Pharmacist can identify all of the family members. A family can be set up as a family group on where a family certificate can be printed and given to the Pharmacist. This will show all of the members of the family so that the pharmacy will not collect charges above the monthly limit.