asked the Minister for Health if he has satisfied himself that all the pharmaceutical requirements of the requisite B.P. Standards are readily available to the medical profession and hospitals from home-manufacturing sources to obviate the necessity for purchasing these requirements from sources outside the Republic in view of the Imposition of Duties Order No. 316 of 1953; and, further, if he will state whether where an imported article covered by thisOrder is used the excess cost which may arise from the extra duty will rank for recoupment under the scheme for the payment of deficits of voluntary hospitals by him when payments for these items are included in such deficits where a home manufactured article of requisite B.P. Standard is available.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Pharmaceutical Requirements.
All the preparations to which the Emergency Imposition of Duties (No. 316) (Glass-packed Sterile Liquids) Order, 1953, applies with the exception of a few items which it was not possible to exclude under broad definitions but for the duty-free importation of which provision is made in the Order, are manufactured in this country and the home manufactured article is readily available. The home manufactured preparations are either standard B.P. preparations or, where there is no B.P. standard, conform to the recognised standards of purity and potency.
I will not be prepared in the case of any participating hospital to allow to rank for recoupment from the Hospitals' Trust Fund any excess cost of imported preparations over the cost of corresponding home manufactured products.