Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:188. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health his plans regarding illness oriented prescribing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56178/12]
View answerThursday, 13 December 2012
Questions (188)
Written answers
The HSE has established a clinician-led Medicines Management Programme (MMP), the aim of which is to ensure that all people have access to the essential medicines they need, that the medicines are safe, effective, and are prescribed and used rationally.
The MMP will be led out by the National Medicines Information Centre (NMIC) and the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) and will work closely with the HSE’s Primary Care Reimbursement Service. The MMP team will include people with prescribing database analytical expertise and prescribing advisors.
An important task of the MMP will be the focus on cost-effective prescribing and the reduction in drug expenditure through more rational prescribing. Proposed initiatives in this regard will include the identification of preferred medicines (or medicines of first choice) in high cost areas such as Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) and statins as these two groups account for approximately 20% of all expenditure under the GMS scheme. Generic prescribing will also be promoted as it is generally accepted as the most cost-effective prescribing.