The anti-impotence drug, Viagra, will be made available on the medical card from July. The announcement was made by the Minister for Health, Brian Cowen, today. He has accepted the findings of an expert group, which has also suggested that patients should be able to get the cost reimbursed under the Community Drugs Scheme.
The report from the group has recommended that four Viagra tablets a month be made available to medical card holders, and says that doctors prescribing the drug must ensure it goes to patients with genuine medical need. It is understood that the estimated cost of providing Viagra on the medical card scheme will be £2.3m a year. There has been a general welcome for the announcement.
