Medical card holders continue to be much more likely to visit their GP than people without medical cards, a new survey has shown.

Previous research has found that people with medical cards tend to visit their GP more often and this latest survey of 1,000 people aged 16 and older suggests this is still the case.

It found that 23% of medical card holders had visited their GP in the last week, compared to 14% of people without medical cards but with private health insurance, and just 4% of people with neither a medical card or health insurance.

The survey also found that 78% of people with medical cards were prescribed medication, compared to 68% with private health insurance and 65% with neither a card or insurance.

The survey was carried out on behalf of the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), which is holding its national pharmacy conference this weekend. It found that overall, 93% of Irish adults use pharmacies, with 49% using their pharmacy on a regular basis.

It also revealed that many people think their pharmacy is more accessible and better value than their GP. Some 88% described their pharmacy as ‘very accessible' compared with 77% for GPs, while 65% said their pharmacies were good value for money, compared to 35% for GPs.

"This is a significant piece of research that highlights the hugely important role that pharmacies play in the Irish healthcare system. The findings also show big differences between medical card holders and non-card holders when it comes to visiting a GP or getting a prescription. These findings raise important questions for policy makers about the effectiveness of the healthcare system as it is currently designed," commented IPU president, Kathy Maher.

She said that people with medical cards are more likely to view the healthcare system as ‘fit for purpose', while people who have to pay ‘are more likely to feel let down'.

"This needs to change, for example, by making a wider range of medicines available from pharmacies without prescription to treat common complaints, thus allowing people to avoid the hassle and expense of an unnecessary GP visit, as happens in other countries. This makes sense," she added.

The IPU national pharmacy conference takes place in Killarney this weekend.