How to get a Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) card

Who this is for

• Anyone living in Ireland who intends to stay for at least a year and does not have a medical card.^[1][5]
• Families: one card can cover an adult, their partner, children under 18, children aged 18 to 23 in full-time education, and any family member who cannot maintain themselves because of a disability or illness.^[1][5]
• People prescribed hormone replacement therapy, because a DPS card is needed to get free HRT.^[1][5]

Before you start

• For everyone you want on the card: full name, date of birth, sex, PPS number, address and contact details.^[2]
• Your existing DPS card number, if you have ever had one.^[2]
• For anyone aged 18 to 23 in full-time education, section 2 of the application form completed and stamped by their school or college.^[1][5]
• A medical report for any family member who cannot maintain themselves.^[1]

Step by step

1. 1

   Check that the DPS is the right scheme

   The scheme is for people without a medical card: Citizens Information says medical card holders are not eligible for it, and the HSE says everyone without a medical card should apply.^[1][5] There is no means test and no income limit.^[1] If you think you might qualify for a medical card instead, read medical card or GP visit card first.
2. 2

   Decide who goes on the card

   The HSE defines a family as an adult, their partner and any children or dependants. Anyone over 18 who is not in full-time education must apply for their own card.^[1] Citizens Information lists the same groups: spouse or partner, children under 18 or under 23 in full-time education, and a dependant with a physical or intellectual disability or mental illness who cannot maintain themselves, with a medical report.^[5]
3. 3

   Apply online, by post or by email

   The quickest way is online at mydps.ie.^[1][2] On paper, download the HSE’s Drugs Payment Scheme application form (an Irish-language version is also published), then post it to Drugs Payment Scheme, Eligibility Unit, PO Box 11745, Dublin 11, or email a scanned copy or clear photo to pcrs.applications@hse.ie.^[2][7] If you cannot download the form, phone 0818 224 478 to order one or ask at your local health office; Citizens Information also mentions primary care centres.^[2][5] Incomplete applications take longer because the HSE has to come back to you.^[2]
4. 4

   Keep your reference number

   An online application gives you a reference number at the end. If you apply by post and give a mobile number, the HSE texts the reference number; otherwise it posts it. You use the number to check the status of your application on mymedicalcard.ie.^[1] The digital card appears in the HSE Health App before the card details arrive in the post.^[1]
5. 5

   Use the card at the pharmacy

   Show the card whenever you collect medicines or appliances.^[5] You do not have to register with a pharmacy, but Citizens Information advises using the same pharmacy within a month: using two or more in one month can push what you pay over the €80 maximum.^[5] If you need medicines before your application is processed, your pharmacy may submit a once-off emergency registration for you; you still have to apply within three months.^[2]

Documents to have ready

DPS card and medical card side by side

How the €80 cap works

The €80 threshold has applied since 1 March 2022; before that it fell in steps from €144 (before 2018) through €134, €124, €114 and €100.^[5] The HSE Primary Care Reimbursement Service keeps the list of medicines and aids covered, and where a reference price has been set for a medicine the HSE uses that price to work out your monthly cost.^[5] The medical card prescription charge does not apply to items supplied under the DPS.^[6]

If you paid more than €80 in a calendar month for the covered items, you can claim a refund, but only if you were registered for the scheme first, only for items bought in a pharmacy with a GMS contract, and only at HSE reimbursement prices: the HSE’s own example is that paying €90 for an item with a €70 reimbursement price gives no refund. HRT is now free and does not need to go on a refund claim. The claim form is on the HSE refunds page.^[4] Refund status can be checked at drugspayment.ie.^[5]

Validity, renewal and keeping details current

Your card has a “Valid to” date, and the HSE’s online eligibility status check at sspcrs.ie shows whether a card is still valid. If it has expired you apply again; there is no separate renewal form.^[1][5] No HSE page we read states a fixed validity period in years, so check the date on your own card.

You can change the address on the card online at mydps.ie. You will need the name and PPS number of everyone on the card, the same for any dependants with their own cards at your address, and a copy, scan or photo of a utility bill, rent agreement, bank statement or Government Department letter dated within 12 months.^[1] If the card is lost or stolen, or you cannot change the address online, email nmcu.cod@hse.ie or write to Drugs Payment Scheme, Eligibility Unit, PO Box 11745, Dublin 11, with copies of the supporting documents.^[1] To add a new baby or dependant, email nmcu.cod@hse.ie with a copy of their birth certificate and proof of their PPS number, or phone 0818 224 478.^[1][5]

Plastic cards are paused

The HSE says there is a temporary disruption to the production of plastic Drugs Payment Scheme cards. Your card is still valid, and the HSE sends a letter containing your card information that you can show at the pharmacy.^[1] Citizens Information says applications are processed as normal during the pause.^[5]

What happens next

You get a reference number to track the application on mymedicalcard.ie, the digital card appears in the HSE Health App, and your card details follow by post.^[1] Start showing the card, the app or the HSE letter at your pharmacy straight away.^[5]

If something goes wrong

Drugs Payment Scheme, Eligibility Unit, PO Box 11745, Dublin 11. Phone 0818 224 478 or 01 864 7100. Email clientregistration@hse.ie.^[3] For lost cards, address changes and adding dependants the HSE gives nmcu.cod@hse.ie.^[1]

FairCare cannot see or check your application. The HSE decides registration; this guide only describes the published process.

Common questions

Do I need a medical card as well?

No. The two do not go together: if you have a medical card you are not eligible for the DPS, and if you do not have one the HSE says you should apply for a DPS card.

How long does the card last?

The HSE pages give no fixed period. The card carries a “Valid to” date, the sspcrs.ie status check shows whether it is still valid, and when it expires you simply apply again.

Can my pharmacy register me?

A pharmacy can submit a temporary once-off emergency registration so you are not left without medicines. You still have to make your own application within three months.

Can I use different pharmacies?

Yes, and you do not have to register with any pharmacy. But using two or more pharmacies in the same month can mean paying more than €80 in total, so Citizens Information advises sticking to one.