Written Answers Nos. 209-221
210. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year savings that would be realised from the immediate introduction of generic substitution for the 60 most commonly used off-patent medications, excluding anti-epileptic drugs, based on reference pricing at 70% below branded equivalent, by cost and by volume. [25666/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drug schemes in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to you.
If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, will he please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the HSE.
211. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year savings that would be realised from sourcing the 20 most expensive and the 20 most common on-patent pharmaceuticals from another member state, parallel import, that state being where the cost of the drug is the lowest in Europe. [25667/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMost drugs, medicines and consumable appliances which are paid for by the HSE are supplied to patients through over 1,800 community pharmacies who, in turn, purchase them from wholesalers or, to a lesser extent, directly from drug manufacturers.
The current pharmacy based model results in over 70 million items being dispensed annually through local pharmacies across the State, including low population centres in rural areas. It enables pharmacies to receive deliveries each day from multiple wholesalers ensuring that all patients have continued access to essential medicines without delay. Under this model, the drugs are purchased by individual pharmacies with no direct input by the HSE.
Establishing an alternative centralised distribution centre would be extremely difficult to achieve and would absorb any potential savings available to the HSE from directly purchasing medicines.
As the HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products under the community drug schemes in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, I have referred the matter of potential savings to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, will he please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the HSE?
212. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health if he has introduced the interventions recommended by the National Vision Coalition in its Report on the Economic Cost and Burden of Eye Disease and Preventable Blindness in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25668/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI acknowledge the valuable contribution made by the National Vision Coalition's Report to our understanding of the broad economic impact of the burden of four key eye diseases and preventable blindness. The Report, "Economic Cost and Burden of Eye Diseases and Preventable Blindness in Ireland", which was part of a pan-European study of 16 countries, looks closely at the cost-effectiveness of interventions to prevent eye disease and blindness.
The health service is addressing the prevention of eye disease and blindness across the broad range of health services including acute, primary and community based services.
Health service provision aimed at protecting people's eye health and, where necessary, providing supports to people with visual impairment, is based on the goals and principles of Healthy Ireland, rooted in primary care and integrated with and supported by secondary and specialist services for those who need them. Eye care services are made available by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to children and to medical card holders and their dependants. All pre-school children may avail of the child health examination route in order to be provided with any necessary optometric services. Children of primary school age are usually screened twice during the primary school cycle and are referred for assessment and treatment if such is required. Any refractive errors are treated and spectacles or other appropriate care is provided where necessary. Other children between 12 and 16 years are seen by a HSE eye doctor when there is a medical reason for the eye condition, rather than refractive error. Outpatient services, i.e. non-routine examination and/or treatment is provided for children in respect of defects noticed at child health or primary school examinations.
The HSE's National Clinical Programme on Diabetes, which includes care of children and adolescents with diabetes, was established in May 2010. Diabetic retinopathy screening commenced in March 2013 and offers free, regular screening to children from age 12 to adults. Systematic retinopathy screening on a population basis is both cost and clinically effective in identifying treatable eye disease.
The HSE has a Primary Care Eye Services Review Group, consisting of key stakeholders, in place to examine issues around primary care eye services including population needs and the adequacy of current services. The Group will identify any current inadequacies and make recommendations as to how these should be addressed. It will report later this year.
The HSE has put in place specific measures to address waiting lists more efficiently, in collaboration with acute hospitals, the Special Delivery Unit and the National Treatment Purchase Fund. These include maximising the use of capacity in public hospitals, through measures such as additional outpatient clinics and extending theatre hours, as well as outsourcing activity to private service providers through a public tendering process. Ophthalmology services are included in the waiting lists to be addressed by such measures. These are a key aspect of meeting the Minister for Health's commitment to reduce maximum permissible waiting times to 18 months by the end of June and 15 months by year end.
People with disabilities, including blind and visually-impaired people, can access specialist disability services, which are provided in a variety of community and residential settings. These may be provided directly by the HSE or in partnership with voluntary service providers such as the National Council for the Blind and the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.
The Government remains committed to the provision and development of clinically effective and cost effective vision services and supports through prevention, screening and intervention policies and programmes, all of which will contribute to addressing the priority goal of the World Health Organisation's Vision 2020 initiative, namely to eliminate avoidable blindness.
213. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the revenue that would be raised by introducing a sugar tax on sugary drinks, as proposed by the Irish Heart Foundation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25669/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have met the Irish Heart Foundation and am aware of their report. In 2012 the Department commissioned a Health Impact Assessment of a sugar sweetened drinks tax, which concluded that, "Price increases tend to decrease demand but the degree to which this happens is variable because consumer behaviour and industry response to tax is difficult to predict". Subsequent to this the European Region of the World Health Organisation (WHO), has recently published a document on the experience of other European countries and showed a mixed picture. In some countries this is viewed as income generation and has no impact on consumption but in others the early indications suggest a reduction in consumption of sugar sweetened drinks. This matter is being kept under review. An Obesity Policy and Action Plan is currently under development and will address a broad range of measures to reduce the level of overweight and obesity in Ireland.
214. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year cost of employing ten community physiotherapists or hospital physiotherapists at entry level, ten community physiotherapists or hospital physiotherapists at the level of five years experience and at ten years experience; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25670/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, will he please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the HSE.
215. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year cost of employing ten speech and language therapists at entry level, ten at the level of five years experience, and ten at the level of ten years of experience; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25671/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, will he please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the HSE?
216. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year cost of employing ten occupational therapists at entry level, ten at the level of five years experience, and ten at the level of ten years of experience; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25672/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, will he please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the HSE?
217. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year cost of employing ten consultants, averaged across the specialties and experience; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25673/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, will he please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the HSE?
218. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year cost of employing and equipping one ambulance, with its complement of personnel and support staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25674/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, will he please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up?
219. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year cost of ten suicide crisis assessment nurses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25675/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra221. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year cost of ten suicide crisis assessment nurses at entry level, ten such nurses at the level of five years experience, and ten such nurses at the level of ten years experience; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25677/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 221 together.
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on these matters. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, will he please contact my Private Office and they will follow up these matters with the HSE.
220. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year cost of ten liaison nurses in Emergency Departments in hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25676/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra222. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health the full-year cost of ten liaison nurses at entry level in emergency departments in hospitals, ten such nurses at the level of five years experience and ten such nurses at the level of ten years experience; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25678/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 220 and 222 together.
I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly on the matter. If the Deputy has not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days, will he please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with the HSE.
Question No. 221 answered with Question No. 210.
