Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 October 2017
454. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the way in which he will ensure that the high cost of preventive medication will not be a barrier in effectively controlling asthma under the long-term illness scheme or another targeted scheme such as a chronic disease card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41937/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAsthma is not covered on the Long Term Illness, LTI, Scheme. The LTI Scheme was established under Section 59(3) of the Health Act 1970 (as amended). The conditions covered by the LTI are: acute leukaemia; mental handicap; cerebral palsy; mental illness (in a person under 16); cystic fibrosis; multiple sclerosis; diabetes insipidus; muscular dystrophies; diabetes mellitus; parkinsonism; epilepsy; phenylketonuria; haemophilia; spina bifida; hydrocephalus; and conditions arising from the use of Thalidomide. Under the LTI Scheme, patients receive drugs, medicines, and medical and surgical appliances directly related to the treatment of their illness, free of charge.
There are no plans to extend the list of conditions covered by the Scheme.
For people who are not eligible for the LTI scheme, there are other arrangements which protect them from excessive medicine costs.
Under the Drug Payment Scheme, no individual or family pays more than €144 a month toward the cost of approved prescribed medicines. The scheme significantly reduces the cost burden for families and individuals with ongoing expenditure on medicines.
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 HSE can take into account medical costs incurred by an individual or a family.
People 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.
The state is working to combat the high prices of medicines generally and in 2016 signed the Framework Agreement on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines, which is available at: www.ipha.ie/alist/ipha-hse-agreement.aspx. This is an agreement between the State and the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, IPHA, and is expected to deliver approximately €600 million in savings over the lifetime of the Agreement from IPHA companies and €150 million in savings from non-IPHA companies.
The new Agreement contains a number of features which represent clear additional value over the terms of the previous 2012 Agreement. The reference basket of countries used to set prices in Ireland has been expanded from nine to 14 countries and, importantly, includes lower cost countries. For the first time, the Agreement provides for an annual price realignment, which will ensure that the prices of medicines in Ireland reduce in line with price reductions across the reference countries. This will ensure the State achieves better value for money on the cost of medicines as prices in other basket countries are adjusted downwards over time.
