Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 July 2015
221. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if a pharmacist is currently able to dispense a pharmaceutical product which is interchangeable with that prescribed by a medical practitioner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29528/15]
View answerIn recent years, the Government has introduced a series of reforms to reduce the prices of drugs and medicines which are paid for by the Health Service Executive. One of those key reforms has been the introduction of generic drug substitution and reference pricing, as provided for by The Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
The Act permits pharmacists to substitute medicines prescribed, provided that they have been designated as safely interchangeable by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).
