Written Answers Nos. 229-239
229. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite and award a discretionary medical card appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21916/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible. The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members.
230. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health if mental health promotion will be included in the health and well-being services under UHI, in view of the fact that mental health promotion focuses on protective factors and prevention, thereby reducing hospital costs in the long run; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21919/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to the development of a modern, community-based mental health service and to the inclusion of a comprehensive range of mental health services within the standard UHI package.
The White Paper on Universal Health Insurance was published by Government on 2 April 2014. The White Paper indicates that under UHI, citizens will have access to a package of primary and acute hospital services, including acute mental health services.
The White Paper also sets out policy proposals for the treatment of different service areas, including mental health and health and well-being. UHI will focus on services delivered at the individual patient or client level. Services such as mental health promotion, which are population based, will continue to be funded directly by the Exchequer. However, this does not in any way diminish their importance, or the priority that I attach to them.
The Government will shortly establish, an Expert Commission to consider in detail the range of services to be included either within the UHI standard package of services or within the overall health basket. The Commission will consult widely and will present a series of options to Government. The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children will also review the options presented by the Commission. The final decision on the services to be included in the UHI standard package and the overall health basket will be made by the Government.
231. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if rheumatoid arthritis will be included as a long-term illness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21931/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra237. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Health if he will class ulcerative colitis and the condition ostomate as long-term illnesses; if he will consider the related concerns (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21944/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 231 and 237 together.
There are no plans to extend the list of conditions covered by the Long Term Illness scheme.
Under the Drug Payment Scheme, no individual or family pays more than €144 per calendar month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The scheme significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals incurring ongoing expenditure on medicines.
In addition, people who cannot, without undue hardship, arrange for the provision of medical services for themselves and their dependants may be entitled to a medical card. In the assessment process, the Health Service Executive can take into account medical costs incurred by an individual or a family. Those who are not eligible for a medical card may still be able to avail of a GP visit card, which covers the cost of GP consultations.
With reference to water charges, the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government has announced that he intends to use his powers under the Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 to ensure that the charges are capped for people with high water usage due to certain medical conditions. These conditions are to be determined in consultation with the Minister for Health.
232. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Health the reason there has been a delay in processing a medical card application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21934/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.
The Health Service Executive operates the General Medical Services scheme, which includes medical cards and GP visit cards, under the Health Act 1970, as amended. It has established a dedicated contact service for members of the Oireachtas specifically for queries relating to medical cards and GP visit cards, which the Deputy may wish to use for an earlier response. Contact information has issued to Oireachtas members.
233. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for Health if Ireland is in compliance with the quality and safety assurance requirements for medicinal products prepared in pharmacies for the special needs of patients in view of the European Pharmacopoeia monograph on pharmaceutical preparations (2619) which came into force on 1 April 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21935/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra234. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for Health if community pharmacy premises and processes have to adhere to the standards of European Pharmacopoeia monograph 2619 regarding extemporaneous compounding; if community pharmacists and their staff will have the required facilities to prepare extemporaneous products; the way these preparations are verified and-or certified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21936/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra235. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for Health in the interest of patient safety, if a community pharmacist outsources manufacture of an extemporaneous product to an IMB GMP approved facility, if these products are reimbursed by the Health Service Executive under the State schemes like other medicinal products; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21937/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra236. Deputy Paudie Coffey asked the Minister for Health if there was an incident here similar to the Peppermint Water Case in the UK, when the wrong strength of chloroform water was used in an extemporaneous preparation and given to a baby who died; and the repercussions there would be for community pharmacists, the pharmaceutical industry, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland or the Irish State, if Ireland is not in compliance with EP 2619. [21938/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 233 to 236, inclusive, together.
Ireland is in compliance with the Council of Europe Monograph (2619) on Pharmaceutical Preparations, and also of the Council of Europe Resolution (2011)1 on quality and safety assurance requirements for medicinal products prepared in pharmacies for the special needs of patients.
Pharmacists were notified of the coming into force of the Monograph and the Resolution by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) by means of the PSI Newsletter of March 2013 and PSI guidance to pharmacists is in compliance with the principles of both the Monograph and the Resolution.
The Medicinal Products (Control of Placing on the Market) Regulations 2007 permits the manufacture of extemporaneously prepared medicinal products by pharmacists in certain limited circumstances:
- in response to a bona fide unsolicited order of a practitioner (i.e. on foot of a prescription), where the medicinal product is for an individual patient under the prescribing practitioner’s care; or
- in response to a request from a patient where the extemporaneously produced medicinal product is not subject to prescription-only control and is produced in the pharmacy in accordance with the specifications of the Pharmacopoeia. In Ireland only the European Pharmacopoeia and British Pharmacopoeia are official and as such are the only pharmacopoeias that are relevant for this purpose.
Under the Pharmacy Act 2007, the Regulation of Retail Pharmacy Businesses Regulations 2008 and PSI guidance, pharmacists and pharmacies are required to have comprehensive equipment, policies and procedures in place to facilitate the safe preparation supply of extemporaneous preparations of an appropriate quality and standard. The Act also provides for a robust regulatory system for Pharmacists and registered Retail Pharmacy Businesses. All Retail Pharmacy Businesses in Ireland are registered with and inspected by the PSI. In the event of an incident involving an extemporaneously produced medicinal product there is a comprehensive disciplinary process in place under which a complaint may be made to the PSI in relation to a Pharmacist and/or a Pharmacy.
A pharmacist, who receives a prescription for a medicinal product should only supply an extemporaneously prepared product when an authorised version of the product, or of a suitable authorised alternative, is not available. Pharmacists should also consider the urgency of the situation and endeavour to supply the prescribed product within an appropriate time-frame. The health and safety of the patient is the primary concern of pharmacists and pharmacists must be satisfied that an extemporaneously prepared medicinal product is of appropriate quality and safety and has been prepared under appropriate conditions.
The fee structure relating to extemporaneous preparation and compounding in Schedule 3 of the Health Professionals (Reduction of Payments to Community Pharmacy Contractors) Regulations 2013 makes no provision for outsourcing the manufacture of an extemporaneous product to an IMB GMP approved facility.
My Department is unaware of any public health concern relating to extemporaneous preparation that would require to be addressed outside of the scope of the PSI’s statutory framework as set out above.
238. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health the number of social workers who have not had their applications processed by CORU, but are still operating as social workers; if any of these persons have been involved in court proceeding especially with regard to important family law cases and had their lack of qualifications been made available to the court. [21946/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra239. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Health in relation to the persons who applied to the CORU but could not be processed while awaiting a professional competence assessment, if they continue to operate as social workers or were they put on gardening leave and were their activities covered by professional liability for the practice. [21947/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 238 and 239 together.
The Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005 provides for the statutory regulation of twelve designated health and social care professions including the profession of social worker. Under the Act, the regulatory system comprises a registration board for each of the twelve designated professions, a Health and Social Care Professionals Council with overall responsibility for the boards, and a committee structure to deal with disciplinary matters. The Council and registration boards are known collectively as CORU. To date, five registration boards, including the Social Workers Registration Board, are operational and it is planned that all twelve registration boards will be established by the end of 2015.
The Social Workers Registration Board's two year transitional period, during which social workers practising in the State must apply for registration in order to continue to use their title, ended on 31 May 2013. Only those social workers who have been granted registration or who applied during the transitional period and whose applications are still being determined may continue to use their title. It would be an offence under the Act for any other person to use the title of social worker; any such alleged offence coming to CORU's attention would be immediately and thoroughly investigated and liable to prosecution. I am advised that the Social Workers Registration Board has so far granted registration to 3,156 social workers and that 388 applications are currently being determined.
In relation to social workers involved in family law cases, issues relating to their terms and conditions of employment, their compliance with statutory registration requirements as a condition of continuing employment, and their professional liability insurance, would be matters, in the first instance, for the relevant employer rather than the statutory regulator. As the newly established Child and Family Agency, which reports to my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, employs social workers involved in family law cases, the deputy might wish to pursue these matters with his Department or with the agency directly. Similarly, the Probation Service, which is an agency of the Department of Justice and Equality, also employs social workers, some of whom may be involved in family law cases from time to time.
