Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 453: To ask the Minister for Health his plans to make available on the drugs repayment scheme and the medical card scheme the enzyme medication sucraid in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Offaly; if his attention has been drawn to the effects suffered by children if this enzyme is unavailable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19962/11]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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In order for a medicinal product to be added to the List of Reimbursable Items maintained by the HSE for reimbursement under the GMS and community drugs schemes it must meet specified criteria. These include the following:

The product must be a medicinal product authorised by the Irish Medicines Board or the European Commission.

The product must be such that it is ordinarily supplied to the public only on foot of a medical prescription.

The product should not be advertised or promoted to the public.

The medicine mentioned by the Deputy is not a licensed product and therefore is not eligible to be added to the List of Reimbursable Items. However, the HSE operates a protocol under which unlicensed medicines, which satisfy specific criteria, are made available to patients. I understand that the product in question has been made available for the patient referred to by the Deputy.