The annual chemist's bill may be more than expected if there are a few bouts of flu and one member of the household requires regular medication.
Under the new Drugs Payment Scheme, no family or individual need pay more than £42 (€53.33) a month (£504 per year) for prescribed medicines or drugs. When the monthly limit is reached, any additional prescribed drugs are available free from your chemist that month. Since the same limit applies to families and individuals, the average family could benefit greatly from the scheme.
Families and individuals are advised to use the same chemist for all prescribed medicines before the full introduction of swipe card technology. Failing that, bills from various chemists may be submitted to the health board for reimbursement over the £42 limit.
Registration forms are available from local chemists GPs or health board offices. These applications should be filled out, including RSI (PPSN) numbers, and returned to the local health board. On-the-spot registration for the scheme is also available in community pharmacies if individuals provide their RSI (PPSN) numbers.
The previous scheme required payments each month, totalling more than £90 per quarter or £360 a year. Although the new scheme potentially increases payments to £504 per year, payments are not necessary each month to continue on the scheme. Families requiring medicines for fewer than eight months may actually reduce their yearly outlay for prescriptions. All individuals and families in the State qualify for the scheme.
