Where is cancer drug treatment provided?

In the public health service in Ireland, treatment with cancer drugs is provided in 25 public adult hospitals and one paediatric hospital. Patients may receive their drug treatment in a different hospital to where they have other treatments that might be required, such as surgery or radiotherapy. 

How often a patient will need to attend at hospital will depend on the type of treatment they are receiving and their cycles of treatment.

Patients who are receiving oral cancer drugs (swallowed through the mouth) will attend the hospital to see the medical oncologist or haematologist to discuss their treatment plan and will then usually need to attend as an outpatient to have their treatment monitored.  Patients on oral drugs are usually given a prescription to take to their local community pharmacy but in some cases, oral drugs are dispensed in hospitals. Payment for these drugs is the same as other prescribed medicines where there is a:

1. Small charge for each item when a person has a medical card or a  
2. Maximum monthly charge where patients do not have medical cards. 

Find out more details on the drugs payment scheme

These drugs are funded by the State through the High-Tech arrangements of the Primary Care Reimbursement Service.

The public hospitals that provide treatment with cancer drugs are listed below.  The patient’s oncologist or haematologist will tell them where their treatment will be provided.

Some services for cancer drug treatment are available in private hospitals but such services are outside the remit of the National Cancer Control Programme.