A report on how substantial savings can be made to the State's drugs bill by removing certain products from the medical card scheme is expected to be submitted to Minister for Health Mary Harney today.
The report was ordered in October from a group chaired by Dr Michael Barry after the Government announced revised income thresholds for over-70s applying for medical cards.
It wants to save €100 million by abolishing the automatic entitlement of all over-70s to medical cards from January 1st, by introducing a flat fee for GPs treating over-70s with medical cards and by reducing spending on drugs.