Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 Feb 1997

Vol. 475 No. 1

Written Answers. - Asthma Medication.

Trevor Sargent

Question:

37 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health the amount of money spent on medication as a result of the widespread incidence of asthma in Ireland; if he will acknowledge and assist with the financial burden this puts on many families; and the action, if any, he will take to tackle asthma in Ireland. [4356/97]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): The ingredient cost in 1995 in respect of anti-asthmatic medication on the General Medical Services, drugs cost subsidisation and long-term illness schemes is as follows: GMS — £13.79 million; DCSS — £3.6 million; and LTI — £0.1 million.

This category of drugs, however may be used to treat a range of other respiratory conditions, as well as asthma.

Where an individual or a family is subjected to a significant level of ongoing expenditure on medical expenses (general practitioner fees, prescribed drugs etc.) due to a long-term medical condition these expenses may be reckoned in determining eligibility for a medical card. In the case of a particular child or family member incurring heavy expenditure due to their asthma condition, the chief executive officer of the health board may grant a medical card to cover that child or individual. Eligibility for a medical card is solely a matter for the chief executive officer of the relevant health board to decide.

Persons who suffer from an ongoing medical condition, such as asthma, can avail of the drug cost subsidisation scheme, which caters for people who, do not have a medical card and are certified as having a long-term medical condition with a regular and ongoing requirement for prescribed drugs and medicines in excess of an amount per month, currently £32.

Persons who qualify for inclusion in this scheme will not have to spend more than £32 in any month on prescribed medication at the pharmacy counter. The General Medical Services (Payments) Board will arrange for the payment of the balance of the cost to the community (retail) pharmacist, thus eliminating the question of a waiting period by patients for refunds.

Under the drugs refund scheme which covers expenditure by the whole family, any expenditure on prescribed medication above £90 in a calendar quarter is refunded by the health board.

A comprehensive treatment service is available for people with asthma. With developments in drug therapy, the condition is now managed in the main within the primary care services, namely general practitioners with assistance and support provided by hospital consultants as necessary.

A pilot project is currently under way involving general practitioners in a regular review of patients with asthma for the purposes of devising more effective treatment, including education in the regular use of preventative medications. It is hoped that this project will lead to an improvement in treatment outcomes and avoid the necessity for hospital referrals.

The Health Promotion Unit of the Department has developed, in association with other interested groups, a smoking policy in the workplace, which recommends that special consideration be given to vulnerable groups, including people with asthma, when developing smoking control guidelines in the workplace. The effectiveness of this programme is currently being reviewed.

I am satisfied that appropriate and comprehensive treatment and financial assistance is being provided to asthma patients through the existing range of services and support schemes available.