In September 2011 the Government gave approval for the drafting of a Bill to provide for the designation and substitution of interchangeable medicines and the pricing and reimbursement of medicines. Drafting of this Bill, entitled the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill, is well advanced and is scheduled for publication shortly.
The potential savings arising from using generic drugs instead of proprietary drugs, where there is an equivalent generic product available, is dependent on a number of factors, in particular, the price differential between the proprietary drugs and the equivalent generic drugs.Therefore, it is not possible to provide an answer in relation to potential savings.