Vol. 450 No. 4
94 Mr. Hyland asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the success of the drug nuofen, now used extensively in the United States of America in the treatment of multiple sclerosis; and if he will request health boards to make the treatment available to medical card holders. [5305/95]
Limerick East): I have made inquiries into the matter and have found no record of a drug by the name referred to by the Deputy. The Deputy may, however, be referring to the drug interferon-beta which has been developed in the United States for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Medicinal products are provided to medical card holders by health boards under the General Medical Services (GMS) scheme. Products included in the GMS scheme must conform to certain published criteria. A key criteria is that the product must be the subject of a current product authorisation granted by the Minister for Health. The granting of such an authorisation indicates that the National Drugs Advisory Board is satisfied as to the quality, safety and efficacy of the product concerned.
The position in relation to interferon beta is that it has not yet received such an authorisation. In the circumstances, therefore, its inclusion on the GMS scheme cannot be considered until such time as an application for a product authorisation has been made and granted.
