This release is categorised as a CSO Frontier Series Output. Particular care must be taken when interpreting the statistics in this release as it may use new methods which are under development and/or data sources which may be incomplete, for example, new administrative data sources.
Engagement with health supports from the state by people experiencing long-lasting conditions or difficulties is examined in this chapter, using data from the Primary Care Reimbursement Service (PCRS). The PCRS records payments to all General Practitioners (GPs), pharmacists, dentists and other health professionals who provide free or reduced cost services to the public.
This chapter looks at medical card coverage, GP visit card coverage and HSE funded pharmacy claims among those experiencing long-lasting conditions or difficulties.
A medical card was held by 68% of people experiencing long-lasting conditions or difficulties to a great extent aged under 65 in 2022, whilst a GP visit card was held by 3% of those experiencing long-lasting conditions or difficulties to a great extent in 2022. Therefore, just over two in three (71%) people experiencing long-lasting conditions or difficulties to a great extent had either a medical card or GP visit card in 2022. The proportion of people experiencing long-lasting conditions or difficulties to a great extent who have a medical or GP visit card is highest for those with an intellectual disability (88%) and lowest for those who have deafness or hearing impairment (61%).
The following three charts and tables contain Pharmacy Claims data for people experiencing long-lasting conditions or difficulties broken down by gender, age group, and type of condition or difficulty.
Males experiencing long-lasting conditions or difficulties to a great extent in 2023 had slightly higher average cost of pharmacy claims at €66.40 compared with €63.10 for females. This pattern was replicated for 2022, where the average amount for males was €71.40 compared with €67.00 for females.
The average number of pharmacy claims per patient for people experiencing long-lasting conditions or difficulties to a great extent was 22.0 in 2023, with females averaging 24.0 compared to males who averaged 19.7.
For people experiencing long-lasting conditions or difficulties to any extent, the average number of claims per patient and the average number of items per claim increases with age (Figure 4.3).
Between 2023 and 2022, the average cost of pharmacy claims for people experiencing long-lasting conditions or difficulties to a great extent fell from €68.80 to €64.40, while the average number of claims per patient rose from 20.8 to 22.0.
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