How it works
There is no way to buy a prescription in Ireland — a prescription follows a consultation, and a doctor has to be satisfied that prescribing is safe. What has changed is that the consultation no longer has to happen in a waiting room. A registered doctor can take your history by phone or video, and where it is clinically appropriate send the prescription electronically to the Irish pharmacy you nominate.
In practice the whole thing usually takes under an hour: a short appointment, a decision, and a message to your pharmacy. Most Irish pharmacies have it ready the same day.
The one thing that speeds this up
What can be prescribed
The honest answer is: it depends on what the doctor can assess safely without touching you. Plenty can be. Plenty cannot.
- Usually workable remotely: short courses for conditions the Doctor can assess from your history, continuation of stable long-term medication, treatments for things you can clearly describe or show on camera, and travel-related medication discussed in advance.
- Generally not prescribed remotely: controlled medicines, anything requiring a physical examination or overdue monitoring, and anything requested without a clinical reason.
- Never on request: antibiotics are prescribed when the Doctor judges them appropriate, not because they were asked for. Many common illnesses are viral and antibiotics do nothing for them.
A good service tells you plainly and quickly when remote care is not the right route. Being sent for an in-person appointment is not the consultation failing — it is the consultation working.
Repeat medication
This is where most people actually need help: the supply has run out, the usual practice cannot see you for a fortnight, or you have moved and have not registered anywhere yet. For stable long-term medication, a remote consultation is often the cleanest way to bridge that gap.
The Doctor will want to know what you take, at what dose, how long you have been on it, when you were last reviewed, and whether anything has changed. Some medicines carry monitoring requirements — blood pressure readings, bloods, or a periodic review — and where those are overdue, the Doctor will say so rather than simply reissuing.
If you move practice or country often
What you pay
Two separate payments: the consultation, and the medicine. Nobody charges you for the piece of paper in between.
| Item | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Remote consultation with a Doctor | ViscaCare: €44 per appointment (€39 during the launch offer) |
| The prescription itself | No separate charge |
| Medicine — medical card holder | €1.50 per item, subject to the monthly household cap |
| Medicine — Drugs Payment Scheme | Up to €80 per household per month, then covered |
| Medicine — Long Term Illness Scheme | No charge for medicines for the covered condition |
| Medicine — no scheme | Full pharmacy price, which varies by medicine |
If you are paying full price regularly and are not on a scheme, it is worth checking the Drugs Payment Scheme: it caps what any household pays for prescribed medicines each month, and registration is free.
The rules in Ireland
Prescribing in Ireland is regulated on both sides. The doctor must be registered with the Medical Council of Ireland and is held to the same professional standards remotely as in person. The pharmacy dispensing your medicine is regulated by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, and the pharmacist has their own independent duty to check that what has been prescribed is safe and appropriate for you.
That second check is a feature, not friction. If your pharmacist queries something, it is worth answering properly — they can see your dispensing history in a way a one-off consultation cannot.
Never use remote care in an emergency
Keeping it all in one place
ViscaCare is a membership built around continuity — the idea that your health information should follow you rather than sit in whichever practice you last attended. The Healthcare Centre keeps your medication list, conditions and allergies in one place, so the Doctor you speak to is not starting from scratch and you are not reciting doses from memory.
Members book phone, video or chat appointments in the app at €44 in Ireland (€39 while the launch offer runs), with prescriptions sent to an Irish pharmacy where clinically appropriate. Membership starts at €24.99 a month for You, with Family at €44.99 and Carer at €54.99, and every tier begins with a 14-day free trial. Ask Mia can help you keep track of what you take and what to raise at your next appointment.
Who makes the clinical decisions
The bottom line
You cannot order a prescription online in Ireland, but you can have the consultation that leads to one from your kitchen table, and have the medicine waiting at your local pharmacy the same day. The limits are real — controlled medicines, overdue monitoring and anything needing an examination stay in person — and a good Doctor will tell you which side of the line you are on within minutes.
Common questions
Can I get a prescription online in Ireland?
Yes, where it is clinically appropriate. A doctor registered with the Irish Medical Council can issue a prescription after a remote phone or video consultation and send it electronically to a pharmacy you nominate. The doctor decides whether prescribing is safe without a physical examination, and may decline or refer you for in-person care instead.
Can I get a repeat prescription online in Ireland?
Often yes, for stable long-term medication you already take. The doctor will want the exact name, strength and dose, when you last had a review, and whether anything has changed. Some medicines require regular monitoring such as blood pressure or blood tests before a repeat can be issued.
How long is an Irish prescription valid for?
A standard Irish prescription is generally valid for six months from the date it is written, and a prescriber can authorise repeat supplies within that period. Controlled medicines have much shorter validity and stricter rules. Your pharmacist will tell you exactly what applies to your prescription.
What can an online doctor not prescribe?
Controlled medicines are generally not prescribed remotely, and nothing is prescribed on request. A doctor will not prescribe where they cannot safely assess you without an examination, where monitoring is overdue, or where the symptoms point to something that needs to be seen in person.
Do I pay extra for the prescription itself?
No. You pay for the consultation, and the prescription is part of it. You then pay the pharmacy for the medicine. With ViscaCare a Doctor appointment in Ireland is €44 (€39 while the launch offer runs), with no separate prescription fee.
Can I use an Irish prescription abroad?
A cross-border prescription can be dispensed in other EU or EEA countries, but acceptance is at the pharmacist’s discretion and some medicines are not available or are named differently. If you travel often, say so during the consultation so it can be written appropriately.
Is my medication information kept private?
Yes. Doctors registered in Ireland are bound by the same duty of confidentiality whether they see you in person or remotely, and your information is handled under data protection law.
Where these figures come from
- Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland — pharmacy and prescription regulation
- Medical Council of Ireland — registration and professional standards
- HSE — Drugs Payment Scheme and Long Term Illness Scheme
- Citizens Information — prescription charges and drug schemes
Charges and thresholds change. We check these figures regularly, but always confirm the current rate with the official source before you rely on it. This page explains entitlements, costs and process — it is not medical advice.
Your medication list, in one place
ViscaCare members book Doctor appointments in the app from €39 during our launch offer (€44 list price), with prescriptions sent to an Irish pharmacy where clinically appropriate — and their medication history kept in one place instead of scattered across practices.
Related guides
Online doctor in Ireland
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A worked annual budget for a family, the tax relief, and how to cut the bill.
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Medicines at €1.50, hospital care, dental and optical cover — and the income limits.
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