Drugs Payment Scheme - I paid more than 85 euro

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biggerry

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I went to the doctor on Monday and he gave me a prescription. The cost of these medicines was 53.51. The chemist's printer wasn't working so they were unable to give me a "Prescription Claim Form", so they asked me to call back on Tuesday. I called back this morning (Thursday) and got the claim form.

My daughter went to the doctor today and she too was given a prescription. The cost of her drugs was 79.13.

My family and I use the Drug Payment Scheme with my local chemist and I've just noticed that the chemist didn't apply the drug payment scheme limit of 85 euro.

By my calculations we should have only paid 31.49 for my daughters drugs today (85 threshold minus the 53.51 that I paid on Monday) when in fact we've paid 132.64 in total sor far this month.

I've been using this chemist for the past 8 years or so to fill any prescriptions we get, so we're on their "system". However, there's been some mix up this month and I've "overpaid" for the prescriptions by 47.64.

I don't know the workings of the Drugs Payment Scheme, but I assume at the end of each month the chemists tots up the cost of drugs they dispensed to each person / family on their system and if that amount exceeds 85 euro they then submit a claim to the Department of Health for the excess. In my case their system will show that they dispensed drugs worth 132.54 to BIGGERRY and his family and that BIGGERRY only paid 85 euro for this. They would then claim 47.64 back. If this is the case then the chemist is being paid on the double.

If my assumptions are correct, should I go back to the chemist and look for the 47.64 back or is there somebody else I should contact to get this money back?
 
The drugs payment scheme is not automatic, you must register for it.

See [broken link removed].
 
Back to the Chemist in the first instance and ask for an explanation - bring the forms/receipts. Worst case, call the HSE.

BTW Is your daughter under 18 or under 23 in full-time education?
 
Thanks for all the replies.

xeresod - We're already registered for this. We exceeded the monthly limit a few times and only had to pay 85 (or whatever the limit was at the time)

pat127 - My daughter is only 5 so there's no problem there.

I'll pop over to the chemist and see what they say.
 
Hi Biggerry
It is not the chemist you contact about this it is the HSE.You can get a form from your HSE and they will refund you the difference.Sorry I can t rem the name of the form -you will also have to forward copies of the receipts of drugs purchased, Ask for the D.P.S section and they will help you.Hope this helps.C.C
 
c.c said:
Hi Biggerry
It is not the chemist you contact about this it is the HSE.You can get a form from your HSE and they will refund you the difference.Sorry I can t rem the name of the form -you will also have to forward copies of the receipts of drugs purchased, Ask for the D.P.S section and they will help you.Hope this helps.C.C
Click to expand...

Perhaps it wasn't the printer that was dopwn , but the pc. If they never entered the amount that was dispensed in the first instance in to the system (when it came back up), then it wouldn't know you had gone over the 85 euro limit. Talk to the chemist first.

jd
 
The pharmacy can give you a form to register for the Drug Payment Scheme and they can send off on your behalf. A couple of weeks later you should receive a swipe card which you then bring with you for any future prescriptions within that month. If you have already exceeded the 85e limit you should not pay for any further medication once you produce this card. Once you complete the form and hand over to the chemist, they sometimes do not charge over the 85e limit but I assume this is at the descretion of the pharmacy you attend.

If you have paid over 85e go back to the pharmacy and failing that contact HSE. You are entitled to a refund.
 
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