Guides
Health guides & articles
Written by an Irish-registered GP, for patients in Ireland. No jargon, no filler — just what you need to decide your next step.
Browse by health topic
57 guides available
PrescriptionsShingles: Symptoms, Signs, and Treatment Options in Ireland
Recognise shingles symptoms early, understand antiviral treatment timing, and know when to seek urgent care from an Irish GP.
6 min readRead guide
Online GPAsthma Symptoms, Treatment and Inhaler Reviews in Ireland
Recognise asthma symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and chest tightness, understand current treatment guidance, and learn when to book an online GP asthma review in Ireland.
5 min readRead guide
PrescriptionsRestless Legs Syndrome: Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment in Ireland
Understand restless legs symptoms, common causes and treatment options, including when to consult an Irish GP online.
6 min readRead guide
Online GPPeripheral Neuropathy: Causes and Management in Ireland
Understand peripheral neuropathy symptoms, common causes and treatment options, including when nerve pain needs an in-person or online GP assessment in Ireland.
6 min readRead guidePrescriptions
Typhoid Vaccine and Travel Health Consultations Online
Get expert Irish GP travel health consultations and typhoid vaccine prescriptions online. No subscription, secure video calls, Healthmail to pharmacies.
4 min readRead guidePrescriptions
Bacterial Vaginosis Antibiotic Dosage Guidelines in Ireland
Recommended antibiotic dosages for bacterial vaginosis (BV) in Ireland, based on HSE and NICE guidelines including metronidazole and clindamycin.
4 min readRead guideWeight & health
How to Check Your BMI: A Clinical Guide for Adults in Ireland
Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) using our clinical guide. Learn what your BMI score means for weight management and healthcare access in Ireland.
5 min readRead guide
Online GPOnline Hay Fever Treatment and GP Consultations in Ireland
Learn how hay fever is assessed and treated in Ireland, with practical advice on pollen triggers and when to speak with an Irish-registered GP online.
5 min readRead guideWeight & health
Stopping Weight Loss Injections Safely: How to Maintain Your Weight
Learn how to safely stop weight loss injections like Mounjaro or Saxenda in Ireland and maintain your weight through clinical tapering and lifestyle.
5 min readRead guide
Online GPOnline Cellulitis Assessment and Treatment in Ireland
Learn how to recognise possible cellulitis, when urgent in-person care is needed, and when an Irish online GP assessment may be suitable.
5 min readRead guide
Online GPOnline Acne Treatment in Ireland
Understand common acne symptoms and treatment options, and learn when an online consultation with an Irish-registered GP may help.
4 min readRead guidePrescriptions
Online Repeat Prescriptions and Bridging Scripts in Ireland
Get emergency bridging scripts and repeat chronic prescriptions online from Irish-registered GPs. Sent directly to your local pharmacy via Healthmail.
5 min readRead guideWeight & health
Orlistat Weight Loss Prescription Online in Ireland
Get medically supervised Orlistat weight loss tablets online in Ireland. Book a secure video GP consultation with NOVAGP.IE for prescription weight loss.
5 min readRead guideWeight & health
Orforglipron (Foundayo) in Ireland: The Oral Weight Loss Pill Explained
Orforglipron (Foundayo) is approved in the US and UK but not yet licensed in Ireland. See how it compares with Wegovy, Mounjaro and Saxenda, and check your eligibility.
5 min readRead guidePrescriptions
Online Prescription Refill for Underactive Thyroid (Hypothyroidism) in Ireland
Secure online prescription refills for stable hypothyroidism in Ireland. Get your thyroid medication sent to your local pharmacy via secure Healthmail.
4 min readRead guidePrescriptions
Get an Online Prescription Refill for Stable Blood Pressure in Ireland
Get a prescription refill for stable, controlled blood pressure in Ireland. Consult an Irish-registered GP online today with delivery to your pharmacy.
5 min readRead guideHealth system
Blood Pressure Guidelines: Clinic, Home & ABPM Targets
Compare clinic, home, and ABPM blood pressure targets under EU and NICE guidelines. Learn how Irish GPs diagnose and manage hypertension.
6 min readRead guidePrescriptions
Online Diabetes Medication Refill for Controlled Sugar Status in Ireland
Get your repeat diabetes medication prescription refilled online in Ireland. Secure video or phone consultations with Irish-registered GPs.
4 min readRead guidePrescriptions
Online Doctor Consultations for Sinusitis in Ireland
Consult an Irish-registered GP online for sinusitis. Get expert clinical advice, medical certs, and Healthmail prescriptions sent to your pharmacy.
5 min readRead guidePrescriptions
Online Allergic Rhinitis Treatment in Ireland
Get expert medical care for allergic rhinitis from Irish-registered GPs. Secure online consultations and Healthmail prescriptions sent to your pharmacy.
5 min readRead guideHealth system
Low Back Pain and Warning Signs: When to See a GP Online in Ireland
Learn the red flag warning signs of low back pain in Ireland. Consult an Irish-registered GP online today for medical advice, referrals, or sick certs.
5 min readRead guidePrescriptions
Common Eye Infections: Symptoms, Treatments, and Online GP Consultations in Ireland
Get expert medical advice for sticky, red, or itchy eyes. Consult an Irish-registered GP online today and receive your prescription via secure Healthmail.
5 min readRead guidePrescriptions
Stye Treatment: When Is an Antibiotic Needed?
Discover when a stye requires antibiotic treatment in Ireland. Learn home remedies and consult an Irish-registered GP online today via NOVAGP.IE.
6 min readRead guideOnline GP
Viral Rashes in Kids: How to Spot Them and When to Attend A&E in Ireland
Learn how to identify viral rashes in children, manage symptoms at home in Ireland, and know exactly when to visit your local hospital A&E department.
6 min readRead guideHealth system
Headache Red Flags: When to Seek Urgent Medical Care in Ireland
Learn the key headache red flags in Ireland. Find out when a headache requires urgent medical care or an online GP consultation with NOVAGP.ie.
5 min readRead guidePrescriptions
Online UTI Consultation and Prescription Treatment in Ireland
Speak to an Irish-registered GP online today for UTI assessment. Get a same-day prescription sent to your local pharmacy via secure Healthmail.
4 min readRead guidePrescriptions
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease: Online GP Advice and Care in Ireland
Get expert medical advice for hand, foot and mouth disease in Ireland. Speak with an Irish-registered online GP today. No subscription required.
6 min readRead guidePrescriptions
HPV Vaccination in Ireland: Expert Online GP Consultation
Get expert clinical advice on the HPV vaccine in Ireland. Consult an Irish-registered GP online for HPV prescriptions, referrals, and catch-up queries.
4 min readRead guide
Men's healthFinasteride: Male Pattern Hair Loss Treatment in Ireland
Learn how finasteride is assessed for male pattern hair loss in Ireland, including expected benefits, possible side effects and GP safety checks.
5 min readRead guidePrescriptions
Emergency Contraception Online in Ireland
Understand emergency contraception options and timing in Ireland, and when to seek confidential advice from a pharmacist or Irish-registered GP.
4 min readRead guideHealth system
Which Medical Conditions Can You Safely Consult an Online GP for in Ireland?
Learn which medical conditions can be safely treated by Irish-registered GPs online. Discover rules for prescriptions, sick certs, and specialist referrals.
6 min readRead guidePrescriptions
When Antibiotics Are Not Needed: An HSE-Aligned Guide
Learn when antibiotics are not needed in Ireland. Read our HSE-aligned guide on managing viral infections and booking an online GP at NOVAGP.IE.
4 min readRead guide
Men's healthFinasteride for male pattern hair loss: the honest Irish guide
Finasteride is the most effective tablet licensed in Ireland for male pattern hair loss — and the one with the most argued-about side effects. Here is a balanced look at both, so you can decide with a doctor rather than a forum.
10 min readRead guide
Costs & accessWeight support without paying privately: what you can access
There is more public weight-management support in Ireland than most people realise, and less of it available quickly than anyone would like. Here is the honest map.
7 min readRead guide
Weight & healthMidlife body changes: what your hormones are really doing
"I am eating the same and doing the same, and my clothes fit differently." It is one of the most common descriptions heard in general practice, and it describes something physiologically real.
8 min readRead guide
Weight & healthLiving with PCOS: why the usual advice keeps failing you
If you have polycystic ovary syndrome and the approaches that work for other people do not work as well for you, that is not imagination. The underlying physiology is different.
8 min readRead guide
Weight & healthTired, wired and stuck: the weight factor nobody measures
Almost every weight plan addresses what you eat and how much you move. Far fewer address how you sleep and how much pressure you are under — which is where a surprising amount of the difficulty sits.
7 min readRead guide
Weight & healthYou did everything right — so why did the weight return?
Almost everyone who loses a meaningful amount of weight regains some of it. That is not a character flaw; it is a predictable physiological response, and understanding it changes the plan.
8 min readRead guide
PrescriptionsYour prescription, decoded: how long it lasts and what it costs
Most people only think about how prescriptions work at the moment one runs out — usually the evening before a bank holiday. Here is the whole system in one place.
8 min readRead guide
Health systemNo GP taking patients near you? Your next moves
People arriving from the UK or elsewhere in Europe expect to be assigned a doctor. Ireland does not work that way — you have to find a practice yourself, and many lists are full.
7 min readRead guide
Costs & accessOff sick in Ireland? Here is where your money comes from
If you cannot work in Ireland, two entirely separate systems might pay you — one run by your employer, one by the Department of Social Protection. They have different rules, different paperwork and different certificates.
8 min readRead guide
Costs & accessTwo cards, very different cover: which one do you hold?
These two cards get discussed as if one were a smaller version of the other. That is true for GP visits and misleading for everything else.
7 min readRead guide
Health systemOut-of-hours GP care in Ireland: your options tonight
Irish general practice runs roughly 9am to 6pm on weekdays. For the other two-thirds of the week, a different set of services takes over — and knowing which one to use saves hours.
8 min readRead guide
MPoxMpox symptoms in Ireland: what to do about a new rash
Most new rashes in Ireland are not mpox. But the checks a doctor runs through are simple, and doing them in the right order — phone first, do not sit in a waiting room — protects you and everyone else.
9 min readRead guide
PrescriptionsAre online prescription services worth it in Ireland?
A GP's view on when paying for an online prescription in Ireland is genuinely worth it — and the situations where you should not pay anyone for one.
7 min readRead guide
ComparisonsOnline GP reviews in Ireland: what patients actually care about
Star ratings are easy to collect and easy to game. Here is how to read online GP reviews in Ireland so they tell you something useful about the care you will get.
7 min readRead guide
Online GPVirtual GP services in Ireland: an honest review of the experience
A GP's honest walk-through of what online care actually feels like from the patient's chair — what works, what frustrates people, and what online consulting genuinely cannot do.
8 min readRead guide
ComparisonsBest online doctor services in Ireland (2026): how to choose
A buyer's guide to Irish telehealth in 2026: the six things that separate a safe, useful online doctor service from a booking form — and an honest account of where NOVAGP.IE fits.
9 min readRead guide
Online GPVirtual doctor services in Ireland: what they can and cannot do
A GP's guide to telemedicine in Ireland: the scope, the safety rules, and the questions to ask before you hand over your medical history.
7 min readRead guide
Online GPSame-day online GP appointments in Ireland
For people who cannot take half a day off: how to see an Irish-registered GP today, from a desk, a car or a hotel room.
6 min readRead guide
Costs & accessHow much does an online GP cost in Ireland?
A straight answer on price: what you pay, what is included, and when a cheaper option is the right clinical choice.
6 min readRead guide
ComparisonsOnline GP services in Ireland: how to compare them
Nine things worth checking before you pay any Irish online doctor service — and exactly how NOVAGP.IE answers each one.
8 min readRead guide
Online GPVideo or phone GP appointment: which should you choose?
Both cost the same and both are real consultations. The difference is whether the GP needs to see something.
4 min readRead guide
Costs & accessGetting a sick certificate online in Ireland
What an Irish employer can ask for, what a GP can certify remotely, and how the certificate reaches you the same day.
5 min readRead guide
Privacy & GDPREU-hosted medical records and GDPR: what it means for Irish patients
Health data is special category data under GDPR. Here is where it lives, who can see it, and the rights you can exercise at any time.
6 min readRead guide
PrescriptionsWhat is a smart prescription?
A questionnaire-led route to a prescription for straightforward, well-defined problems — reviewed by a GP, not by an algorithm.
6 min readRead guide
Online GPHow online GP consultations work in Ireland
What actually happens when you book an online GP appointment in Ireland — from choosing a slot to getting your prescription, sick cert or referral letter afterwards.
7 min readRead guide
Need to speak to a GP today?
Same-day video and phone appointments with Irish-registered GPs, €39.
Book a consultation