Mr. Pat O'Mahony:

There was a strong emphasis on pricing in members' questions. As I made clear at the outset, pricing is not a function of the IMB. Like everyone else, however, those of us who work for the board have views on this matter. In the first instance, I wish to explain what is happening in respect of the switching issue to which Deputy Kelleher referred. I will then outline the position with regard to pricing and generic substitution.

The statistics in respect of switching in Ireland are probably as good as those which obtain in any of the other European countries with regard to the number of products that have been switched in recent years. Products are authorised as either prescription, over-the-counter in the pharmacy or for general sale in grocery stores. The rules, regulations and directives generally provide that a certain number of medicines - injectables or whatever - can never be switched from prescription. The rules also provide that when they are first licensed, new medicines are generally classified as prescription-only. This is for the first number of years while broader knowledge is being acquired about their safety profiles, etc.