International Students

Q. Can I bring medication with me to Ireland?

Irish Revenue and Customs Service is the competent authority for importations. It works closely with the Irish Medicines Board to facilitate situations of personal importations of medications, where these are legally being supplied or imported. Visitors, including students staying for a period of time, may carry with them up to three months supply of their medication. They should, ideally carry a copy of their prescription and a letter from their doctor to facilitate answering any questions by Customs officers, should that arise. This imported quantity should be the only amount of that medication that they import in this manner during that three months period. Anyone carrying in excess of a three months supply is considered to be carrying in excess of what would be a personal use amount.

Unaccompanied baggage, including medication, including express delivery services, is subject to Customs control. Cold chain medicinal products should be adequately packed and marked to ensure that the quality of the product does not degrade while in transit, especially in varying temperatures, as may arise by air transportation.

Q. How can I check if my medication is available in Ireland?

Most medications are available in Ireland and can be prescribed by a doctor within the SHC or a local GP. This should enable you to continue your treatment as necessary. However, there are some exceptions. Medications that are available in your own country are sometimes not licensed for use here. It is very important to check this before you make the decision to travel! It is also important to check the cost of the medication as the price may be significantly higher in Ireland.

If it is not possible to bring a sufficient supply of medication with you, we will require an original prescription or a letter from your prescribing doctor explaining why you need this medication. If your current medication is unlicensed in Ireland an alternative option may be offered by a doctor here in Ireland if it is clinically indicated. Please note the decision to continue to prescribe or advise an ongoing treatment lies with the prescribing/treating doctor in Ireland.

If you need any additional clarification about your medications before travelling, please email Ria.Toland@ul.ie and one of our doctors will review your query.

Listed below is some common medications that fall into the hospital consultant only prescribed category in Ireland.

1. Roaccutane for the treatment of Acne

This must be prescribed by a hospital consultant dermatologist and requires referral for supervision.

2. Immune Modulators

This group of drugs is used to treat complex medical conditions including but not limited to Multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. These drugs are hospital consultant prescribed and referral for hospital treatment will be necessary. If you have a significant medical condition such as one of these mentioned, it is essential that you discuss your condition with your own specialist including the implications of travelling abroad to study to ensure optimum care.

3. Allergy injections

Allergy injections are only given in a hospital setting and require referral to an allergy hospital consultant. They cannot be administered in the SHC.

4. Transgender medication

Medication for Gender Reassignment must be prescribed under hospital consultant endocrinologist supervision in Ireland. Students requesting treatment at the SHC are generally referred to the National Gender Service. This is based at St Columcille's Hospital in Dublin and has a long waiting time for patients to be seen. If available, providing information regarding your previous diagnosis and treatment plan from your own treating physician may facilitate an earlier appointment. Please be aware that some treatments that may be used quite extensively abroad are unlicensed and therefore cannot be prescribed or administered in Ireland. If possible, please bring sufficient medication from your home country to cover your stay in Ireland or to last until you have been seen by the National Gender service. 

5. Drugs used for treating ADD/ADHD.

If you have a diagnosis of ADHD / ADD from a specialist abroad, please bring your documentation confirming the diagnosis and treatment plan from your treating physician with you to Ireland. Treatment in Ireland must be under the supervision of a hospital consultant psychiatrist and so a referral is necessary, particularly as some medications used abroad are un-licensed here. It may be some time before you are seen and so there is a potential for disruption of your regular treatment schedule. If you are studying at UL for a short period of time, it can be helpful to bring enough supply of medication from your home country to last until you return home.  Appointments for initial assessment and diagnosis of ADHD/ ADD are currently very limited.

6. Xolair (Omalizumab)

Students taking Xolair (Omalizumab) may not be able to continue this treatment while here. It would be advisable that students complete their treatment in their home country before travelling to Ireland to start their studies.

Q. Can I avail of the Drugs Payment Scheme to cover the costs of my medications?

Anyone who is an ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland can apply for the Drugs Payment Scheme. Ordinary resident means that you are living in Ireland and intend to live in Ireland for at least one year. However, eligibility is also based on the type of immigration stamp you hold. Most students from outside the EU/EEA hold a stamp 2 or 2A permission and cannot receive any benefits or use publicly funded services (e.g. public hospitals) unless you have an entitlement via other means. Please check your immigration stamp and the Drugs Payment Scheme website for further details.

Q. I need regular infusions for my medical condition.  Can I continue these when I come to study in Ireland?

We are not equipped in the SHC to deliver this type of treatment as it requires hospital supervision. Patients receive infusions for different medical reasons. An appointment will be needed with a specialist in the relevant clinical speciality to facilitate your treatment. Ideally, this should be set up well in advance of travel, particularly if the treatment required is scheduled soon after your arrival in Ireland. These treatments are carried out in both public and private hospitals. Patients who have not already made arrangements will be referred to either our local public or private hospital as requested. This may cause an unavoidable delay. It is important that you confirm BEFORE TRAVELLING that you have adequate health insurance cover for this specific treatment, as not all insurance policies will provide adequate cover and you may be exposed to significant costs. Note: A treating doctor in your home country can contact their counterpart here in Limerick to facilitate your ongoing treatment. 

All visiting students are advised to ensure that they have received completed courses of all immunisations appropriate to their age that are recommended for their home country. If not already included in this list the following immunisations are also recommended: MMR and Meningitis C and COVID-19. Ideally you should avail of these vaccinations at least 8 weeks prior to your arrival in Ireland.

Students on regular medication must obtain a prescription from an Irish doctor.  In the case of controlled drugs (e.g. strong painkillers or sedatives), the doctor will need a letter from your own physician confirming the medications you are on. The letter should outline briefly the condition the medication is prescribed for and state clearly the name, dose and duration of the medication required.

All prescriptions for medication are sent electronically by our doctors or nurse to whichever pharmacy is most convenient for you. There will be a fee at the pharmacy to purchase the medication.  

Below is a list of pharmacies close to the University:

• Castletroy Park Pharmacy, Unit 5, Park Retail Center, Castletroy, Co. Limerick, Tel: +353 (0)61 201 010
• Castletroy Pharmacy, University Court, Castletroy, Co. Limerick Tel: + 353 (0) 61 333 030
• Scanlons’s Late Night Pharmacy, Unit 6 Chawkes Service Station, Dublin Road, Castletroy, Co. Limerick, Tel: + 353 (0) 61 203 003
• Lloyd’s Pharmacy, Castletroy Shopping Centre, Dublin Rd, Castletroy, Limerick, Tel: +353 (0) 61 339 454
• Lloyd’s Pharmacy, Parkway Shopping Centre, Limerick, Tel: +353 (0) 61 412 023

The University’s Student Counselling and Wellbeing Service provides a number of supports to those with mental health needs. 

If you are attending a psychiatrist at home and you need to continue your treatment under the care of a psychiatrist whilst in Ireland, you will need to bring a letter with you from your doctor confirming your diagnosis and it should clearly state the name, dose and duration of the medication required.

Depending on your diagnosis and treatment plan, our doctor may be able to continue your treatment and prescribe the necessary medication for you. If there needs to be continued specialist supervision, our doctor or Student Counselling and Wellbeing Service can refer you to a consultant psychiatrist as appropriate. The waiting times to see a psychiatrist in Ireland varies, and can take a number of months. Priority is given to urgent cases.

There is no dental surgery on campus and we are not linked to any particular local dentist.  Below is a list of some dentists close to the University:-

• No8 Dental Clinic, University Court Medical Centre, Castletroy, Limerick Tel: +353 (0) 61 331414
• Dr Ruth Murphy, Glanleam, Dublin Road, Castletroy, Limerick Tel:  +353 (0) 61 335226
• Shields Dental Clinic, Unit 15, Castletroy Shopping Centre, Limerick Tel: +353 (0) 61 480070
• Dr Killian Iarlaith, 5B Whitethorns, Castletroy, Co. Limerick, Tel: +353 (0) 61 339723

Q. What is a specialist or a consultant?

A specialist is a hospital-based doctor who offers specialised assessment and treatment for more complex types of medical problems. They are also referred to as hospital consultants. 

In Ireland, you must first have an initial medical assessment with a GP before attending a specialist doctor. Where appropriate the GP will refer you to a specialist for further assessment, investigation, and management. 

Q. What is the difference between a public and a private hospital?

The Health Service Executive (HSE) runs the public hospitals in Ireland on behalf of the Irish government. Everyone is entitled to go to a public hospital. There may be some charges depending on your circumstances e.g. your immigration permission/visa stamp or when attending the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department without first seeing a GP. There can often be long waiting lists for assessment and treatment in public hospitals.

A private hospital is fee-based and we would recommend that you check the terms of your medical insurance policy to ensure that the costs involved are covered by the policy. Waiting times to be seen are generally shorter in private hospitals than in public hospitals.

Q. How do I organise the continuation of my specialist care when I come to Ireland?

If you are attending a specialist doctor in your home country, it is very important that you have a consultation with them prior to travelling. The pros and cons of living in a foreign country with your condition need to be discussed. You must check that your treatment is available in Ireland and if not, consideration should be given to an alternative treatment that is available in Ireland. Alternatively, you may decide to bring your treatment with you.

Your doctor should provide you with a written summary of your diagnosis and list of medications. In some circumstances, they may also need to contact a specialist doctor in Ireland directly to ensure your treatment is available and can be arranged without interruption.

We recommend that you book an appointment with a doctor in the SHC as soon as you arrive in Ireland to ensure that any necessary specialist referrals are made for you. You will need to bring your doctors letter with you.

Please note that there may be a time delay of weeks or sometimes months before specialist doctor appointments can take place, so you need to ensure that you have enough medication with you to allow for this. This is particularly important if your medical condition could deteriorate if your medication is stopped for any reason.

You should always check in advance of travel to Ireland that your treatment is covered by your medical insurance policy.

The Student Health Centre does not deal with any medical Insurance providers. You must contact us directly and you will need to pay at the time of booking your appointment. It is up to you to check the terms and conditions of your medical insurance policy and submit a claim when necessary. When booking an appointment, the receipt will be emailed to you and you may use it when submitting a claim.

If you need to contact someone with a query, please send an email to UL Global at international@ul.ie. 

Additional information regarding medical insurance.

Students from EU member states and Switzerland are entitled to emergency services under the PUBLIC system if they have an EHIC with them. You should apply for your EHIC before leaving home. Please note that the EHIC only covers attendance at public facilities and GPs who are part of the scheme, and it does not cover private care.

The SHC is not part of this scheme and cannot facilitate EHIC cards.  If necessary, we can provide you with a list of some local doctors. We recommend that you check when requesting an appointment with them that they can accept EHIC cards.

In Ireland, you should only ever present to the Accident & Emergency (A&E) department or call an ambulance in the event of a major medical emergency.  In all other cases, you should contact the SHC or one of the services listed in the Out of Hours Clinics information.

Charges apply for attending A&E except for those who have:

An initial assessment by a GP and are referred to the A&E with a doctor’s letter.
OR
Students who present a valid EHIC card will not need to pay.

For information on hospital charges please see

• HSE A&E (ER) Charges
• ICOS Information on A&E(ER) charges for international non-EEA student
• Citizens Information-entitlement to public health services

If you have medical insurance, you may be able to claim some or all of any expenses incurred.

For serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies, please telephone 112 or 999 for ambulance response.

The 24 hour UL Campus Emergency number is 00 353 (0)61 21 333.

Medical Emergency Response Procedure

Q. What is a GP?

• A GP is a General Practitioner or a medical doctor. They are also referred to as family practitioners in some countries and they provide what is called primary medical care in Ireland. A GP provides the first point of care for patients.
• In the UL SHC there are 4 part-time GPs along with a Nurse Practice Manager and administration support.
• For information regarding local GPs, if required, please email ria.toland@ul.ie

Q. As UL has a Student Health Centre, do I need to register with a local doctor?

UL Student Health Centre does not operate as a General Practitioner Service and does not undertake emergency or routine home visits. If you have an ongoing illness or medical problem that requires regular review you should register with a local General Practitioner for the duration of your time in UL.

Q. How do I register with the SHC?

• When you need to book an appointment please telephone the SHC and we can register your details on our system. You will be asked for your UL ID number, name, Limerick address, date of birth and Irish mobile number. We do not deal directly with Medical Insurance companies so you must make the booking yourself.   The phone can be very busy at times so please be patient and keep trying.
• We can email a receipt to you at the time of booking should you require it for claiming back the costs of your appointments from your medical insurance company.  You will need to be familiar with the terms of your policy and what it covers.

We recommend that you have an Irish mobile SIM card for the duration of your stay as we are unable to access international numbers. The Health Service Executive (HSE) which runs public health services in Ireland is also unable to access international numbers.  If you do not have an Irish SIM card, we will not be able to contact you in the event you are referred to one of its services.

It is possible to use an Irish SIM card without having to purchase another mobile phone.  You just need to make sure that you contact your network provider before travelling to Ireland to ask that they unlock your phone so that it will accept an Irish SIM.  The fee for a SIM card is approximately €15 per month.

Some local mobile phone/SIM card providers are:

• Three Store, Parkway Shopping Centre / Crescent Shopping Centre
• Vodafone, 3 O’Connell Street Limerick / Crescent Shopping Centre

Q. Will the Student Health Centre contact or speak to parents/relatives or family of a visiting student?

All consultations at the Student Health Centre are confidential, and details of your condition and treatment will only be shared with others with your expressed consent. Once you have given consent we will communicate with your family as appropriate.

Please see the links below

Find a GP in your area:

• Find a GP

Irish Council for International Students (ICOS) practical information for the International Student:

• Practical Health Information 
• GP and Hospital services 

Link to citizens information on GPs in Ireland.

• Citizens information