Two doctors in the Western Health Board region have complained at a board meeting that the laminated medical card, which does not include either the patient's address or name of their doctor, could easily be used fraudulently.
Dr Greg Kelly, of Castlerea, called on the Department of Health to withdraw the cards, describing them as a waste of money. He said they had been badly thought out.
Dr Diarmuid McLoughlin, of Swinford, said a doctor had no way of knowing whether the cards were authentic. A grave mistake had been made by the people who designed it. He said he wanted to put the Department on notice that GPs would not be responsible if the cards were used fraudulently.
He added that a patient came to him from Navan. She had been to a doctor in Galway before arriving at his surgery. He had no way of knowing what she might have been prescribed. Cllr John Flannery said a patient could go to a number of doctors and be prescribed medication several times on the same day.
The board's CEO, Dr Sheelah Ryan, said there might be some misunderstanding about the new card, which was automated. When it was "swiped" by the GP, the patient's full details should become clear. Dr McLoughlin insisted this did not happen.
Dr Ryan acknowledged that there had been problems with the system. She would investigate it and prepare a report for the next meeting.