HSE Drug Payment Scheme in Ireland — Patient Guide

What is the Drug Payment Scheme?

The Drug Payment Scheme (DPS) is a HSE programme that caps what a family or individual resident in Ireland pays each month for prescription medicines and certain other prescribed health items. Unlike the GMS (medical card), which is income-based, the DPS is open to every household ordinarily resident in Ireland. You pay the actual cost up to the monthly ceiling — anything above that, the HSE covers.

How it works

• Register with HSE for a DPS card (or add family members to an existing card)
• Each pharmacy keeps a running tally of your household's prescription spend that month
• Once your household reaches the monthly cap (€80 at time of writing — check current HSE figures as this changes), all further prescribed items that month are free at the pharmacy
• The tally resets each calendar month

The DPS covers prescribed medicines — over-the-counter purchases are not included.

Who is eligible

• Any individual or family ordinarily resident in Ireland
• Not income-tested — anyone can apply
• If a household member becomes eligible for the GMS medical card, they're covered separately and may be removed from the DPS

How to register

Per HSE DPS:

• Online via the HSE website (DPS application form)
• By post — paper form available from your local Health Office or download from HSE.ie
• Through your treating doctor or pharmacy in some cases
• You'll be issued with a DPS card showing your card number and registered household members
• Show the card at the pharmacy when collecting prescriptions

What's covered

• Approved prescription medicines on the HSE List of Reimbursable Items
• Certain medical and surgical appliances when prescribed
• Some specific cost-effective generic alternatives where applicable

Not covered: over-the-counter purchases (paracetamol, antihistamines, vitamins, etc.) even if a doctor has recommended them; private medications outside the HSE list; some specialty/cosmetic preparations.

Other Irish prescription schemes worth knowing

• GMS Medical Card — income-tested. Free prescriptions (small dispensing fee per item, capped per month). Covers consultation with your contracted treating doctor too.
• Doctor Visit Card (HSE) — covers contracted treating-doctor visits but not prescriptions; income-tested, or available based on age in some scenarios (e.g. under-8s, over-70s — eligibility evolves with each Budget).
• Long-Term Illness (LTI) Scheme — covers prescribed medicines for 16 specified conditions (diabetes, epilepsy, MS, schizophrenia, others), free of charge regardless of means.
• Free Contraception Scheme — covers contraception costs for women in the eligible age range.
• European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) — for EU travel, not domestic Irish prescriptions.

How this works with Online Doctor consultations

The Dox on Call consultation fee (€34.99) is a private fee — not covered by GMS, DPS, or any HSE scheme. Many patients claim back consultation costs against private health insurance (Laya, VHI, Irish Life Health) — receipts are issued for this purpose.

Important: if an Online Doctor prescribes you a medication, the medication itself is covered by the DPS like any other prescription. The pharmacist will apply the monthly cap normally.