Vol. 478 No. 3
35 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health his Department's policy, if any, in relation to the recent reports of a possible cure for Alzhcimer's disease: and whether it is anticipated that this country will start usage of the drugs with moderately ill Alzheirner's patients in view of the reported success in other countries. [11040/97]
49 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health the number of Alzheimer's patients in each of the health board areas over the past five years; and if he will give details of the percentage growth in elderly persons suffering from this disease.[11124/97]
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 49 together.
It is difficult to state accurately the overall prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease in the elderly as studies using different diagnostic measures and different types of samples produce different figures.However, the World Health Organisation estimates a rate of the severer degrees of dementia, which would include Alzheimer's Disease, 5 per cent to 8 per cent among those aged 65 years of age and over. Applying these rates to the present elderly population in Ireland, suggests that between 20,000 and 32,000 people are suffering from dementia. While it is not possible to provide a breakdown of the number of Alzheimer sufferers in each health board area, it is safe to assume that as the elderly population increases, so too will the incidence of Alzheimer's Disease.
I am aware that a drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's Discase has recently been the subject of an application for a product authorisation to the Irish Medicines Board. Before any new drug can be made available on the market for human use it must receive a product authorisation from the Irish Medicines Board who must be satisfied as to the quality, safety and efficacy of the product. If, and when, a product is granted a product authorisation from the Medicines Board, it is then a matter for each clinician, in consultation with the specialist involved, to decide, based on the particular individual's medical condition and needs, whether the product should be prescribed for that person.
