Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1816. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if he will provide details on the appointments process to the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics; the number of employees; the nature of their tenure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40612/22]
View answerThe National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) has been located on the St James’ Hospital campus since its inception in 1998. The appointments process for the NCPE is conducted by the Human Resources (HR) department of St James’ Hospital, who are responsible for all aspects of the process. Its remit is to advise the HSE and the Department of Health in relation to the cost-effectiveness of medicines, through the carrying out of health technology assessments (HTAs).
Following an independent review of the NCPE's work in 2017, an additional €750,000 was allocated by the Minister for Health in 2018 to support the working of the NCPE, increasing its staffing from 10.5 to 20.5 WTEs in permanent positions. The number of assessments completed each year has increased from 58 in 2020 to 95 in 2021. To date (21/7/2022) this year 65 assessments have already been undertaken, with over 100 further assessments expected to be completed by the end of this year.
