Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 October 2023
559. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Health if he will confirm whether or not hospital consultants or treating physicians received a payment in any of the past ten years for switching patients from brand name medicines to generic medicines; if he will list the amounts paid to individual consultants if any such payments were made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46448/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe prescribing of Best Value Biologic (BvB) medicines is leading to significant savings for the health service, which is assisting us in facilitating access to new, innovative biological medicines for patients.
The HSE is actively engaged in implementing measures across a number of domains and under several initiatives, including the Acute Hospitals Drugs Management Programme, the HSE Medicines Management Programme (MMP), and within the Primary Care Reimbursement Service.
The HSE-MMP published recommendations in May 2019 in relation to the first two high tech biosimilar drugs, adalimumab and etanercept. The BVB programme has expanded to five switching programmes. As of the end of September 2023, over 25,000 patients are receiving more affordable biosimilar medicines. From the introduction of these initiatives to the end of 2022, savings have amounted to €234.45m.
In 2019, at the outset of the BVB programme, the HSE also introduced the Gainshare Initiative, which is no longer operating, which provided a financial incentive to public hospitals and clinics to pursue biosimilar treatment switching programmes. Any incentives provided under the Initiative were awarded to the prescribing department of the relevant hospital to be reinvested in services for the benefit of patients. No individual prescribers were given payment for choosing to engage with the safe, effective, and cost-effective prescribing practices promoted by BvB initiatives.
