merrion street

Minister Simon Harris has today (Tuesday) signed a statutory instrument which will mean a reduction in prescription charges from January 1^st.

It was announced in Budget 2018 that the charge will reduce from €2.50 to €2 per item and there will be a reduction in the monthly cap from €25 to €20.

Minister Harris said

“This means that from the start of the New Year all medical card holders will only pay €2 per item, with a maximum cost of €20 a month. Nearly 500,000 Medical Card holders under the age of 70 will save up to €60 in 2018 from the reduction in the prescription charge.

"Reducing the cost of medicines for families is a key commitment in the Programme for Government and, building on the progress in 2017 where I reduced the prescription charge for over 70's, I am delighted to now be in a position to further reduce the cost of medicines from the 1^st of January 2018. In line with the Slaintecare recommendations, and subject to available resources, it is my intention to build upon these initiatives in future years and continue to reduce the cost of medicines for families."