Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 16 September 2016
1252. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the respective roles of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics and Irish Platform for Patients' Organisations in Science and Industry in making decisions regarding the drugs that will be reimbursed by the HSE. [25470/16]
View answer1253. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the source of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics funding. [25471/16]
View answer1254. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the process involved in the HSE agreeing to reimburse any given drug. [25472/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1252 to 1254, inclusive, together.
The Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 governs the processes and procedures which apply when the HSE receives an application to add a new medicine to its Reimbursement List. These processes and procedures are set out in Schedule 1 of the Framework Agreement on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines, which is published on the Department of Health website and can be accessed at http://health.gov.ie/blog/publications/framework-agreement-on-the-supply-and-pricing-of-medicines/.
As part of the assessment process for new medicines, the HSE may, at its sole discretion, commission the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) to conduct a Rapid Review assessment and/or a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of the medicine in question. Based on the results of these independent, clinical and scientific assessments, which are conducted according to Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) guidelines, the NCPE can make recommendations on reimbursement to assist the HSE in its decision-making process. The NCPE's assessment reports represent an important input to assist the HSE in its decision-making process regarding the reimbursement of new medicines.
Reimbursement decisions taken by the HSE are also informed by the requirements of the 2013 legislation, which includes consideration of the opportunity cost of the treatment and resources available to the HSE as allocated by Dáil Eireann.
The NCPE receives the majority of its funding from St James’s Hospital, and receives a separate fee from the HSE for each pharmacoeconomic assessment commissioned by the Executive. The NCPE receives no funding from the pharmaceutical industry.
The Irish Platform for Patient Organisations, Science and Industry (IPPOSI) does not have a role in HSE decisions on the reimbursement of new medicines.
