When Will Patients Benefit from Further Reduced Drug Prices?-Oireachtas Health Committee

The proposals aimed at bringing down the high costs of prescription drugs in Ireland will be analysed with those groups responsible for this important task at tomorrow’s (14th) meeting of the Oireachtas Health Committee.

Representatives from the Department of Health, the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and the Irish Medicines Board will attend the meeting at 2:15 pm in Committee Room 2 of Leinster House.

Public expenditure on pharmaceuticals in Ireland is almost €1.6 billion annually. Prices of medicines in Ireland are consistently higher than in other European countries where identical products can be purchased at a fraction of the price. The plans also promote greater competition between suppliers.

Under the present plans, pharmacists would be permitted to substitute some medicines for their cheaper generic equivalents. Currently pharmacists can only supply the brand prescribed by the doctor. Ireland has a low prescribing rate of generic drugs-an estimated 18%, while across the EU, the rate is approximately 50%.

Committee Chairman, Seán O’Fearghail TD said;
“As the population grows older and demand for healthcare increases, Ireland is facing an ever increasing bill for medicines. This makes it all the more essential that the cost of prescribed drugs comes down.

Although there have been some reductions, there is still plenty of capacity to bring prices down further and bring them more in line with EU norms. A proposed structure has been set in place to achieve this and at tomorrow’s meeting, Committee members will have a chance to tease out the details and establish when these lower prices will come on line.

It is not tolerable that Irish patients have to pay some of the highest prices in Europe for medicines and efforts to alter this situation need to be introduced promptly.”

This Committee can be viewed on-line  

Daniel English
Oireachtas Communications Unit
01 618 4484
087 6949926

Full Membership of the Committee:
Seán Ó Fearghaíl TD, Fianna Fáil, (Chariman)
Jan O'Sullivan, Labour Party, (Vice Chairman)
Margaret Conlon, TD, Fianna Fáil
Kathleen Lynch, TD, Labour Party
Bernard Allen, TD, Fine Gael
Bobby Aylward, TD, Fianna Fáil
Niall Blaney, TD, Fianna Fáil
Paul Connaughton, TD, Fine Gael
Beverley Flynn, TD, Fianna Fail
Dan Neville, TD, Fine Gael
Charlie O'Connor, TD Fianna Fáil
Rory O'Hanlon, TD, Fianna Fáil
James Reilly, TD, Fine Gael
Senator Geraldine Feeney, Fianna Fáil
Senator Frances Fitzgerald, Fine Gael
Senator Phil Prendergast, Labour Party
Senator Mary White, Fianna Fáil