Vol. 179 No. 7
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he has sought the advice of the representatives of the medical profession concerning the therapeutic value and efficiency of the drugs now manufactured in the State and previously imported from abroad.
43.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he has sought or received any undertaking from the medical profession that the drugs and medicines now manufactured in the State as alternatives to those formerly imported will be in future prescribed by them in substitution for the more costly imported commodity.
I propose, with the permission of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 42 and 43 together.
I have had no discussions with representatives of the medical profession on the matters referred to in the Deputy's questions.
44.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he has taken steps to ensure that tablets and medicinal preparations now prepared in the State are tested for potency, toxicity and sterility when necessary.
45.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce what steps, if any, he has taken to establish independent machinery to test and supervise the quality and composition of those drugs and medicines now manufactured in the State in substitution for those previously imported.
46.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether facilities for routine bioassay are available to the drug manufacturers or to him for the assessment of the potency of drugs manufactured in the State.
I propose with the permission of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle to take Questions Nos. 44, 45 and 46 together.
I have no function in the matters referred to in the Deputy's questions. I would, however, refer the Deputy to the reply he received on 18th November, 1959, to a similar question addressed by him to the Minister for Health.
47.
asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce whether he has taken steps to inform the public or medical profession of those drugs and medicines formerly imported from abroad for which identical quality and constituent standard drugs or medicines are now available from home resources; and if not, if he will now do so.
It is assumed that the question relates to medicinal tablets and the ingredients used in the manufacture thereof which became subject to duty last September. Lists of such tablets which are manufactured in this country have been circulated by the manufacturers to distributors through their Associations, and are being made available by my Department to any other interested parties on request.
