Medical card patients to pay more on prescription charge than cost of drugs

The increased prescription charge announced in the budget was described as a “tax on the elderly” after it emerged the Government will start charging medical card patients more for many medications than what they cost.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) said the €2.50 prescription charge from Dec 1 is now little more than a revenue- raising measure, because it far exceeds the cost the State pays for drugs for a range of conditions such as blood pressure, psychiatric illnesses, diabetes, and thyroid problems.

It is calling for “exclusion criteria” similar to the English system, which would ensure certain prescriptions, including the contraceptive pill or medication for chronic illnesses, would be exempt from the charge.