The Drugs Payment Scheme operates on a monthly basis. It limits the amount which an individual or family must pay themselves in any one month to €85 (January 2005) per month . No medical certificate for particular conditions is required.
All individuals and families in the State should register for this scheme. Registration forms are available from pharmacies, GPs surgeries, or your local health board office and these should be completed and returned to your local health board office as soon as possible. There is a facility for on-the-spot registration for the scheme in community pharmacies, in situations where the individual or family who has not registered incurs expenditure in excess of €85 and can provide the pharmacist with all the necessary details, including RSI (PPS) number(s). In such cases, patients will only be charged €85. Again, a completed registration form should be returned immediately to your local health board office. From January 2005 the monthly DPS expenditure threshold increased €85 - up until 31st December 2004 the threshold was €78 per month.