If you have a medical card, you can get prescription medicines free of charge.
If you are under the age of 70 years, there is a prescription charge of €1.50 for each item. This is up to a maximum of €15 per month, for each person or family.
If you are over 70 years of age, there is a prescription charge of €1 for each item. This is up to a maximum of €10 per month, for each person or family.
We arrange refunds annually to those who have paid over their monthly limit.
Family certificate
To avoid paying charges above the monthly limit you should register for a family certificate and give this to your pharmacist.
The certificate lists all the members of your family so the pharmacist knows to not charge them over the limit.
Children in care
There are no prescription charges for children in:
- care
- foster care
- foster care with relatives and other care placements who have medical cards
If you're a carer responsible for a child in care you can claim a full refund for prescription charges.
International protection applicants
If you are an international protection applicant living solely on a direct provision payment, you do not need to pay prescription charges.
Methadone
There is no prescription charge for methadone.
Long-term illness
The prescription charge will not apply to items supplied under:
- the Long Term Illness Scheme
- the Drugs Payment Scheme
- private prescriptions
Support to manage your medicines
If you have a condition or situation that makes it harder to manage your medicines, you can get extra support from a pharmacist. For example, if you have a condition that affects your thinking and memory.
Who can get extra support to manage medicines
A pharmacist can offer extra support for free for people with a medical card who:
- have no support at home and a disability that makes it difficult to open or use standard packaging
- have a condition that affects their thinking or memory - such as dementia
- have an intellectual disability
- take medicines that have risky effects if people use them without medical advice - for example, medicines that contain opioids
- experience homelessness
People outside these groups can get support but may need to pay for it.
If you think you may need extra support, talk to your pharmacist. They can give you advice for your situation.
Supports covered by the medical card include:
- advice on your managing your medicines - such as how to take them and when
- easy-open packaging
- medicine reminder alarms
- medicine reminder charts
- getting your prescription in smaller amounts (phased dispensing) - for example, every week instead of every month
A medicine blister pack is a container that shows you what medicines to take and when. It is safer for most people to store medicines in the original packaging.
If your pharmacist recommends a blister pack for you, you can get the container for free on the medical card. The pharmacy may charge a fee to put your medicines in the blister pack.
If you have been getting phased dispensing or blister packs for free before August 2025, you can continue to get them for free.