Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2023
651. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health the number of times the HSE’s Chief Clinical Officer has been briefed on the NCPE’s ongoing activity; what reporting requirements are in place for the NCPE to report to the chief clinical officer; what performance measurements are in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29316/23]
View answerThe National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) was established in 1998 with the aim of promoting expertise in Ireland for the advancement of the discipline of pharmacoeconomics through practice, research and education. The NCPE is an independent Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Agency responsible for evaluating drug treatments for use in the Irish healthcare setting.
The NCPE conducts the HTA of drugs for the health service in Ireland in collaboration with the Health Service Executive's Corporate Pharmaceutical Unit. They assess comparative clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of drugs compared to current standard of care. The NCPE engages with stakeholders, including patients and clinicians, throughout the assessment process.
All HTA recommendations are communicated by the NCPE to the HSE's Chief Clinical Officer (CCO). Therefore, on average the HSE's CCO is updated every two weeks on the output of the NCPE's work. The scientific/technical aspects of the NCPE's work are independent of the HSE.
