DUBLIN: The study found that the number of immigrants joining the Drug Payment Scheme implemented by the Department of Health and HSE to help them purchase medicine was low.
The Drugs Payment Scheme has been in place since 2012 in collaboration with the Department of Health and the HSE to financially assist those who consume more than the prescribed amount of medication each month.
The advantage of this DPS scheme is that an individual or a family does not have to spend more than €114 per month on medicines. If you have to spend more than €114 on medicine, the government will pay you according to the plan.
The cardholder will receive prescribed drugs, rent for a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine and oxygen. Everyone who lives in a house gets a health card.
Who all can apply?
Anyone who is ‘ordinarily resident’ in the Republic of Ireland can apply. ‘Ordinarily resident’ means that you are living here and intend to live here for at least one year. There are no income related tests for issuing a DPS card
12 lakh people are benefiting from the drug payment scheme
More than 12 lakh people across the country are currently availing the scheme. But a study by the Dún Laoghaire Integration Forum found that a large portion of the country’s tens of thousands of migrants have not yet applied for the scheme.
When it was first introduced in 2012, only drugs costing more than €144 per month were eligible for benefits under the Drugs Payment Scheme. Last year, the limit was reduced to €114.
For more information: https://www2.hse.ie/services/drugs-payment-scheme/drugs-payment-scheme-card.html
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