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Filling a prescription in Ireland with NHS number

  • 08-05-2010 3:48pm
    #1
    bleg
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,848 ✭✭✭


    Hi guys, a friend of mine was wondering if he can get free medication in Ireland under the NHS scheme, like he does in the UK. I said I wasn't sure and would get back to him but I haven't the foggiest...


Comments

  • #2
    fearcruach
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 357 ✭✭fearcruach


    As far as I know all UK citizens get treated the same as under the NHS i.e. their medicine is free as long as they have their NHS number and are not living in Ireland. So it applies to people just visiting etc. The prescription is filled out onto a medical card form.


  • #3
    RobFowl
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 11,669 Mod ✭✭✭✭RobFowl


    As long as they have their medical card (an NHS card with their NHS number) and see a GMS GP their prescription can be issued on and Irish GMS prescription.
    This applies only for the first 3 months of a stay in this country after that they have the same rights as any other resident in ROI.


  • #4
    boxers
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6 ✭boxers


    That's answered a question which had me curious. A UK pensioner who moved to Ireland from Spain a few weeks ago said they needed to go to the doctor and wasn't charged either to see a GP or for the drugs at the chemists.
    I was wondering who paid the bill, but it seems it's the UK government.


  • #5
    bleg
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,848 ✭✭✭bleg


    Thanks guys, I've served NHS patients before but didn't have a clue how they went about getting their free health service in Ireland.


  • #6
    locum-motion
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    fearcruach wrote: »
    As far as I know all UK citizens get treated the same as under the NHS ...

    Not quite right; UK citizens (in fact any EEA or Swiss citizen), when visiting any other EEA country (or Switzerland), are entitled to be treated in the same way as the locals, not in the same way as they are at home. So, effectively they get treated as if they had a Medical Card.


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  • #7
    locum-motion
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    RobFowl wrote: »
    As long as they have their medical card (an NHS card with their NHS number) and see a GMS GP their prescription can be issued on and Irish GMS prescription.
    This applies only for the first 3 months of a stay in this country after that they have the same rights as any other resident in ROI.

    If the person's NHS card has been issued relatively recently, it will actually be a plastic credit card-sized card with NHS details on one side, and the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) on the other. Older NHS cards are actually much larger and printed on quite flimsy card. It's actually the EHIC bit, and not the NHS bit, that entitles the person to treatment, but since huge numbers of British people still have the old card, effectively that card is recognised.

    The EHIC is a blue card that you get from your local HSE office, and a few years ago it replaced the E111 forms that they used to give out.

    Rob is perfectly correct that it applies only in the 1st 3 months, after that the person is considered (for the purposes of this scheme) to be a resident and not a visitor and has to apply for a Medical Card. As for locals, it's means tested, so if their income is over a certain threshold they won't get it (but of course they can then get a DPS card which places a cap on their monthly drug expenditure).


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