Discretionary Medical card and 'co-payment' prescription charges

I've had a Discretionary Medical card for the past three years. Prior to this both my husband and I were on the family Drug Repayment scheme. When I told my pharmacist that I had received a discretionary medical card she told me it wouldn't be worth it as my husband was remaining on the drug replacement scheme.

I pay the government levy of €1 per prescription (I'm over seventy) and I'm usually over the limit of €10 per month. The pharmacy also charges various amounts for 'co-payment' on some of my prescriptions. I'm not charged the government levy on those prescriptions, as far as I know, just the co-payment charge. The 'receipt' for the co-payment is a sticker on the paper bag containing my prescription drugs and the till receipt. The sticker doesn't indicate which drug prescription is charged for co-payment. The pharmacist has also told us that it is cheaper paying full over the counter prices for one or two of my prescribed drugs. Neither of us can understand why and it can be very embarrassing asking the pharmacist to explain things to us in her very busy pharmacy in front of people we know.

Could anyone explain what exactly co-payment charges are for please? I can't find any reference to the term 'co-payment' on the HSE website and Citizens Advice Bureau hasn't heard of it either. Secondly, can we include the government levy charge and the co-payment charges in our tax return?

Aoibheann said:

Neither of us can understand why and it can be very embarrassing asking the pharmacist to explain things to us in her very busy pharmacy in front of people we know.

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Most or all pharmacies will facilitate a private consultation away from the main body of the shop. Can't you ask for that for them to explain in private what seems like very vague and possibly misleading advice? Or talk to another pharmacist and move your custom there if necessary?

The only places I can find references to "co-payment" or "copayment" or "copay" in connection with medical insurance or medical / prescription costs are in the US and Canada. I understand what it means - it's the small €1 or €2 charge levied as a "dispensing fee" on prescriptions in Ireland, but we don't use the term.

Clubman, It's the only pharmacy in our local village. However, you're right, it would be worth talking to another pharmacist. Hopefully, they'll talk to us though we're not customers of theirs.

mathepac, co-payment only appeared on US sites when I googled it. I thought the 'dispensing fee' on prescriptions was covered by the €1 'government levy' that I paid?

My bad, you are correct, I should have said government levy; the dispensing fee is part of what the government pays the pharmacist.

What I understand a co-payment to be is if I want a branded drug, I have to pay an extra charge myself which is not included in the €80 monthly drug repayment scheme.

The pharmacy will dispense a cheaper generic form of each drug unless a branded one is requested.

You have a right to know exactly what these extra payments are but the only person who can tell you is the pharmacist.
I would drop at a quiet time and insist on a private chat and ask for a breakdown

As Sadie says, the co-payment charge is most likely the additional cost for a branded medicine where there is a generic alternative available. If you don't want to pay the co-payment charge, ask the pharmacist for the generic. They are just as good and sometimes even manufactured in the same factories as the branded product.

Sadie, Nivarg, you're probably right. I thought it was random, depending on what was in stock, or whether my consultant/doctor had used the brand name or the generic name in my prescription. I'll have to ask another pharmacy how it works.

On another note, should I include my monthly payments of €10 plus the co-payment amounts in the med 1 section of our tax return? I don't have a record of what the co-payments are but I presume the pharmacist has to have them.

Aoibheann said:

Sadie, Nivarg, you're probably right. I thought it was random, depending on what was in stock, or whether my consultant/doctor had used the brand name or the generic name in my prescription. I'll have to ask another pharmacy how it works.

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You are perfectly entitled to have a generic dispensed where available even if the doctor prescribes a non generic brand. E.g. my doctor prescribes a combined statin which is quite expensive and it's much cheaper for me to get the equivalent drugs/dosage as two separate generic meds so that's what I do.

Aoibheann said:

On another note, should I include my monthly payments of €10 plus the co-payment amounts in the med 1 section of our tax return? I don't have a record of what the co-payments are but I presume the pharmacist has to have them.

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As far as I know such expenses should be eligible for MED1 tax relief. And, yes, your pharmacy should be able to provide you with details of any payments and to explain them clearly to you.

Thank you all for the above information and advice. I'll ask for a printout of last year's payments for our tax return.