Prescription only hair loss treatment
The information that you provide is covered by the same patient-doctor confidentiality as in a normal face to face consultation.
If medically suitable, your prescription will be sent directly to your chosen pharmacy by secure email (Healthmail).
We refund the full amount if our doctors cannot treat you.
- Online consultations with Irish based doctors
- Our doctors will issue a 6 month prescription for Finasteride (Proprecia, Fintrid, Proscar) if medically safe and suitable
- Valid in any Irish pharmacy to buy your medication
- Prescription sent to your chosen pharmacy via secure email (Healthmail) within minutes of approval
See below for more details, or use the button "Ok, let's go" to start your application
What causes male pattern baldness?
Male pattern baldness is perfectly normal and a natural effect of the male sex hormone Testosterone.
How common is male pattern baldness?
30% of men under 30 and 40% of men at the age of 35 have some degree of hair loss. This rises to 60% at age 60.
What should I do if I am affected by male pattern baldness?
While this is a common, normal and natural hormonal effect, some men can find this hair loss distressing. If a man’s self esteem is affected by this, then it may be best that to chat with their doctor or with a counsellor particularly and especially if there are other issues affecting him.
Are there prescription only treatments available for hair loss?
If hair loss is the only cause of distress, treatment can help. Take for example the hair loss treatment Propecia (active ingredient is Finasteride). Although it will not recover any significant hair lost to Male Pattern Baldness, it will pause or stop any further hair loss in the majority of patients for the duration of time that the treatment is taken.
Can I get Propecia in Ireland?
The Propecia brand is licensed for sale and is available in the UK and costs over £330 (€420) for a 6 month supply, however it is not available in Ireland in this form. The same active ingredient is used to treat prostate problems in men at much higher dosages. Some GPs use this formulation for the treatment of male pattern hair loss by prescribing it on the basis of taking a quarter of a tablet daily (the tablet can be cut into quarters using a tablet cutter which can be bought in any Pharmacy). This is known as prescribing the medicine in an “off-licence” manner. This prescription for the medication (that contains the same active ingredient in Propecia is called Fintrid or Proscar) and the cost is far lower than Propecia.
How much will it cost?
CareOnCall offers online prescriptions for hair loss if medically safe and suitable. The cost of CareOnCall consultations for Hair Loss cost €25. The Fintrid medication itself costs around €40 for a 6 month supply, with the only requirement being you need to use a pill-cutter to cut the pill into quarters (and be careful of handling it before you take it - specifically women must avoid handling any cut up pills). This makes the treatment a lot cheaper than is currently available and works out at a little over €6 a month, a fraction of the hundreds of Euros some sellers are charging.
What are the possible side effects?
With this treatment, it is important to mention that some men can have side effects such as decreased libido (sex drive) and erectile dysfunction. Clinical studies have shown these side effects occur in a small percentage of patients and while these usually are temporary, they can be a cause of distress to some men. There are several websites where some users have expressed their concerns about this treatment and the negative effects it has had for them. While not doubting their testimony, the published clinical studies have shown that such negative effects occur in a small number of patients who should stop using the treatment immediately if they have these side effects. All clinical published studies show these side effects go away soon after treatment is stopped.
What does "off licence use" of a medicine mean?
In Ireland, every medicine must have a licence for its specified use issued by the Irish Health Products Regulatory Authority. However some medicines have a therapeutic effect outside of their intended use. For example codeine is used as a powerful pain reliever. This is the use for which it is licensed. However it was known that Codeine also caused the bowel to become sluggish sand cause constipation. Therefore when a person suffered from watery diarrhoea, codeine was prescribed for this therapeutic effect and this is what is known as an “off licence” use.
How do I use Fintrid Finasteride for hair loss?
Your prescription will be for a quantity of 46 of the 5mg strength of tablet. These tablets are then cut into quarters using a tablet cutter (available from your Pharmacist for less than €5) and one quarter tablet is taken each day.
How can I apply for Finasteride on CareOnCall?
CareOnCall offers an online only consultation for hair loss for only €25.
If our GPs do not consider you suitable for treatment, we will refund the full amount.
The information that you provide is covered by the same patient-doctor confidentiality as in a normal face to face consultation.
We have a simple questionnaire that can be completed in under one minute.
If medically suitable, your prescription will be sent directly to your chosen pharmacy by secure email (Healthmail).
The service is provided in accordance with your scheme rules and table of benefits, which you can find on Member Area on layahealthcare.ie or by calling 021 202 2000.