Dr Mick Loftus, a general practitioner based in Crossmolina, Co Mayo, had to officially give up treating his medical card patients seven years ago when he reached the age of 70. He also had to give up his role of coroner for North Mayo at the same time.
Loftus, however, continues to work in a practice along with his daughter-in-law, Dr Eleanor Fitzgerald-Loftus, and Dr Fergal Ruane. As an assistant to the practice he can continue to treat his medical card patients who are now on his daughter-in-law's list.
The rule requiring general practitioners to retire from treating medical card patients at 70 doesn't make much sense, according to Loftus.
A former president of the GAA he will be 77 in August. He runs three miles every day and works a full day every day in the surgery. On the morning of this interview he had seen eight patients before lunchtime.
"Not being big headed but I feel I'm well enough to do it . . . I suppose the exercise stands to me," he says.
As a member of the National Council for the Elderly he feels the current regulations are "ageist" and "unfair". If doctors are competent they should be able to continue to practise, he says. People are living much longer and are more active than ever before, he argues.
Once a doctor keeps up with the medical developments there is no reason why they shouldn't continue to practise after 70, he says.
Meanwhile, Dr Paddy Henry, who continues to treat private patients in his practice in Rosses Point, Co Sligo, says he didn't mind giving up his medical card patients at the age of 70, seven years ago.
"It's a big commitment. You have to be available to go out at all hours of the day and night. I didn't want to take this responsibility on if I couldn't do it."
He is keen to point out, however, that turning 70 is "not the end of the world".
He continues to work and, aside from his private patients, he does locum work in St John's Hospital. He is on the IMO's fitness to practise committee and chairman of the research and education foundation of the ICGP.
Continuing medical education is very import, according to Henry, as is continuing to work.
"People who continue to work live longer," he explains.
These sentiments are echoed by a GP working in a small town who wished to remain nameless. He says it is a "crazy situation for a lay person to tell a doctor that they can't work".
The doctor, who is aged 78 and has been practising for 51 years, says doctors should be able to continue to work and maintain relationships with their patients as long as they are physically and mentally able to do so.
"No one will tell you whether you are capable or not more than the people you treat. They know if you are losing it," he says.