I propose to take Questions Nos. 225 and 226 together.
A Medicines Management Programme (MMP) has been established by the HSE to provide sustained national leadership in this area. The aims of the MMP include (a) ensuring that patients have access to the essential medicines that they need; (b) facilitating more cost-effective prescribing with initiatives in relation to high-cost medicines; (c) ensuring value for money in relation to medicines; and (d) enhancing evidence based prescribing and optimising patient safety through a reduction in medication related adverse events.
The MMP will focus on drugs and medicines which can be expected to have a significant impact in terms of patient safety and expenditure. In this context, the MMP will monitor drug utilisation and expenditure under the community drug schemes and initiate a health technology assessment for products where there are queries in relation to efficacy and value for money. This process has the potential to produce significant savings in drug expenditure while at the same time enhancing patient safety.
The MMP has also introduced the preferred drugs initiative which facilitates more cost-effective prescribing particularly in relation to high-cost medicines and it has commenced a series of educational meetings with general practitioners to reinforce the message around safe, effective and cost-effective prescribing as well as generic prescribing.
Compliance with medication is a matter for the patient in conjunction with their medical practitioner. Pharmacists also have a vital role to play in relation to the management of individual patients and/or medicines.
