Clare councillor: Curbing viagra access can save health service money

A Co. Clare councillor says overspending in the health service could be reduced by curbing medical card holders' access to erectile dysfunction drugs.

At present, men who hold medical cards are automatically entitled to four viagra-type pills per month - which set the the taxpayer back to the tune of €1.4m in 2010.

The Troika has told the Government that health overspending must be reduced.

And Green party councillor Brian Meaney says this is one issue that's easy to tackle: "We need to be more prescriptive on how these pills are dispensed. The automatic right should be removed.

"We are facing a situation where Minister Reilly is being asked to cut substantially in our health service so we need to look at costs like this."