Under the Drugs Payment Scheme you only have to pay €100 in any calendar month for prescription drugs, either for yourself or your family.
The scheme covers you and your family, so if the total cost of medication for the family exceeds €100 in any calendar month you can claim back the excess.
Your family is defined as
You can apply for DPS cards form your family from your local health office, or a pharmacy. To apply, you will need the PPS number for each family member. Each family member will be issued a credit card style card which lasts 5 years. After 5 years, you need to apply again.
If you pay for any drugs when waiting for your card, keep the receipts as you can claim these back.
When you fill a prescription which costs more than €100 euro, show the card to the pharmacist and you will only be charged €100, and the pharmacy will claim the rest back from the DPS. If you have more than one prescription in one month which you fill at different times, two things can happen.
If you fill all your prescriptions in one pharmacy, they will keep a record of your total cost, and when it reaches €100, you don’t have to pay any more.
If you go to more than one pharmacy in the month, you will have to pay the full cost in each visit, and claim the rest back from your local health office. I have no experience of making such a claim, but it would be useful if anyone who has, could inform us, how easy it and how long it takes.
For example, if you have three prescriptions in one month and go to one pharmacy only
On 2nd Sept you pay €40euro for medicine for yourself – you pay the whole 40 euro
On 17th Sept, you have a prescription for your daughter, the cost is €70 euro. You only have to pay €60
On 30th Sept, you have a prescription for your son, the cost is €20. You pay nothing, as you have already paid 100 in the month.
If you went to three different pharmacies for the 3 prescriptions, you would have to pay the cost each time (€130 in total) and claim €30 back from your local health office
If you are on long term medication what costs over €100 a month, you can’t fill 6 months prescription at the same time, and only pay a total of €100, you must pay €100 per month.
The scheme covers you and your family, so if the total cost of medication for the family exceeds €100 in any calendar month you can claim back the excess.
Your family is defined as
- You and your spouse or partner
- Your children under the age of 18
- Your children under the age of 23 in full time education
- A dependent living in the household with a physical/mental disability who does not have a medical card.
You can apply for DPS cards form your family from your local health office, or a pharmacy. To apply, you will need the PPS number for each family member. Each family member will be issued a credit card style card which lasts 5 years. After 5 years, you need to apply again.
If you pay for any drugs when waiting for your card, keep the receipts as you can claim these back.
When you fill a prescription which costs more than €100 euro, show the card to the pharmacist and you will only be charged €100, and the pharmacy will claim the rest back from the DPS. If you have more than one prescription in one month which you fill at different times, two things can happen.
If you fill all your prescriptions in one pharmacy, they will keep a record of your total cost, and when it reaches €100, you don’t have to pay any more.
If you go to more than one pharmacy in the month, you will have to pay the full cost in each visit, and claim the rest back from your local health office. I have no experience of making such a claim, but it would be useful if anyone who has, could inform us, how easy it and how long it takes.
For example, if you have three prescriptions in one month and go to one pharmacy only
On 2nd Sept you pay €40euro for medicine for yourself – you pay the whole 40 euro
On 17th Sept, you have a prescription for your daughter, the cost is €70 euro. You only have to pay €60
On 30th Sept, you have a prescription for your son, the cost is €20. You pay nothing, as you have already paid 100 in the month.
If you went to three different pharmacies for the 3 prescriptions, you would have to pay the cost each time (€130 in total) and claim €30 back from your local health office
If you are on long term medication what costs over €100 a month, you can’t fill 6 months prescription at the same time, and only pay a total of €100, you must pay €100 per month.
