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A charge on prescriptions for medical card holders!

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  • 15-11-2009 7:46pm
    #1
    gigglybits
    Registered Users Posts: 55 ✭✭


    Well what do the folks here on boards say about that?

    A 50c charge per item on a prescription.

    So let’s say someone is on 10 meds…that would be a 5 euro charge. Prescriptions are mostly written out per month so that would equal a charge of 1 euro 25 cent a week for free medication. If you are on 1 medication and receiving a monthly script this charge breaks down to 12 cent a week. I can’t see how folk couldn’t afford this and have wondered for quite a number of years now as to why prescriptions don’t come with a very small charge. It will be interesting to see if this ‘discussion’ the government are to have regarding a charge on prescriptions for medical card holders will create such a furore as previous talks on medical card eligibility on over 70’s and child benefit entitlement.

    On another note, clients in parts of the East Coast, namely Co. Dublin, Co. Wicklow and Co. Kildare are the only counties in Ireland to receive free, yes I said FREE, psychiatric medication. For everyone else living in the other Counties in Ireland, if you do not have a medical card, you have to pay for your psychiatric medication. Why is this so? And if these 3 counties were brought in line with the rest, would this not create a huge monetary boost for the government?


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    #2
    Drummer Mummer
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭Drummer Mummer


    I think the charge is a really good idea, sometimes a drug can cost quite a lot of money and a nominal charge, say 50c or a bit more sounds fair to me, especially when you don't have to pay the Doc 50euro for the visit.


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    #3
    gigglybits
    Registered Users Posts: 55 ✭✭gigglybits


    As I've said above, when you break it down to 12 cent a week for a free visit, free medication...it begs the question as to why it hasn't been done before.

    Prescription charge a go-go says I.


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    #4
    Kristopherus
    Registered Users Posts: 11,907 ✭✭✭✭Kristopherus


    Not before time. IMHO they should have a 5 euro flat charge & forget about items per script. It would be much easier to adninister also. The pharmacies will have enough on their hands without getting into complicated calculation of this charge.


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    #5
    angeldelight
    Registered Users Posts: 5,175 ✭✭✭angeldelight


    While I'm not sure this is in the right forum I 100% agree with this as an idea. I'm speaking as a soon to be qualified pharmacist and having seen the amount of wastage that goes on with medical card prescriptions I am in favour of anything that can reduce this.

    I have seen bags and bags of medicines being handed back in after someone has passed away or just having a clear out. A lot of them are very expensive but because people are getting them for free they get them every month "just in case" - even if they have no intention of ever using them. I've also seen family members passing around medicines prescribed for them and obtained on the medical card to others as they don't need them. It infuriates me as pharmacists are seen as ripping people off but these people don't see anything wrong with what they're doing


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    #6
    gigglybits
    Registered Users Posts: 55 ✭✭gigglybits


    Likewise, coming from a background of having worked in clinics and also having older family members prescribing anyone with an ache or pain from their 'pharmacy' out back, I can't understand how this gross abuse of a medical system is allowed to continue...apart from it being extremely dangerous.


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    #7
    Beelzebub
    Closed Accounts Posts: 643 ✭✭✭Beelzebub


    angeldelight wrote: »
    While I'm not sure this is in the right forum I 100% agree with this as an idea. I'm speaking as a soon to be qualified pharmacist and having seen the amount of wastage that goes on with medical card prescriptions I am in favour of anything that can reduce this.

    I have seen bags and bags of medicines being handed back in after someone has passed away or just having a clear out. A lot of them are very expensive but because people are getting them for free they get them every month "just in case" - even if they have no intention of ever using them. I've also seen family members passing around medicines prescribed for them and obtained on the medical card to others as they don't need them. It infuriates me as pharmacists are seen as ripping people off but these people don't see anything wrong with what they're doing


    So you're saying that doctor's are prescribing drugs to people who don't need them? And what kinds of drugs are you talking about here?
    Personally I don't know any doctors who do this but if you do you have a duty to report this, because this is fraud.


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    #8
    irish_bob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,271 ✭✭✭irish_bob


    Beelzebub wrote: »
    So you're saying that doctor's are prescribing drugs to people who don't need them? And what kinds of drugs are you talking about here?
    Personally I don't know any doctors who do this but if you do you have a duty to report this, because this is fraud.

    go away and stop annoying me prescriptions have always been a common practice by doctors

    ps , im not saying i blame them


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    #9
    ateam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 986 ✭✭✭ateam


    If this is introduced, which I highly doubt, pensioners will be exempt.


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    #10
    flogen
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 10,247 Mod ✭✭✭✭flogen


    This isn't really the right forum for the discussion - I think Politics might be best.

    Moved.


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    #11
    Dannyboy83
    Registered Users Posts: 4,236 ✭✭✭Dannyboy83


    irish_bob wrote: »
    go away and stop annoying me prescriptions have always been a common practice by doctors

    ps , im not saying i blame them

    I seem to recall a newspaper story where there was some doctor a while back who's son (a pharmacist from down the country) was selling prescription drugs out of the car boot in the adjacent car park, LOL.

    Ireland has been overrun by greed.


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    #12
    mrgaa1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 759 ✭✭✭mrgaa1


    about time - 50c isn't a whole pile to pay. This forthcoming budget is going to be interesting.


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    #13
    nesf
    Registered Users Posts: 27,645 ✭✭✭✭nesf


    angeldelight wrote: »
    While I'm not sure this is in the right forum I 100% agree with this as an idea. I'm speaking as a soon to be qualified pharmacist and having seen the amount of wastage that goes on with medical card prescriptions I am in favour of anything that can reduce this.

    I have seen bags and bags of medicines being handed back in after someone has passed away or just having a clear out. A lot of them are very expensive but because people are getting them for free they get them every month "just in case" - even if they have no intention of ever using them. I've also seen family members passing around medicines prescribed for them and obtained on the medical card to others as they don't need them. It infuriates me as pharmacists are seen as ripping people off but these people don't see anything wrong with what they're doing

    I definitely come from where you're coming from on this issue. I think there needs to be some combination of a nominal charge for prescription meds plus some form of default generic substitution going on to reduce costs in this area.


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