Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 12:

In page 27, subsection (2), lines 28 to 30, to delete paragraphs (d) and (e)and substitute the following:"(d)the potential budget impact of the item if it were to become a listed item,
(e)the ability of suppliers of the item to meet patient demand for the item if it were to become a listed item,
(f) the resources available to the Executive, and
(g)the terms of any agreement in place (whether entered into before, on or after the commencement of this section) between the Executive and any representative body of the suppliers of drugs, medicines or medicinal or surgical appliances where the agreement relates, whether directly or indirectly, to the price of the item.".

Section 21 sets out the criteria to be taken into account by the HSE when it is considering the proposed price of an item for inclusion on the list of reimbursable items. To address concerns regarding the need for the HSE to safeguard continuity of supply when setting prices, I am proposing to amend section 21(2) to add "the ability of suppliers of the item to meet patient demand for the item if it were to become a listed item," to the list of criteria to which the HSE must have regard when setting a price for an item. I am satisfied that this amendment is necessary, given the difficulties experienced by some countries in securing an adequate supply of necessary medicinal products following price reductions. This proposed amendment brings section 21 into line with section 24, which already provides that the HSE must have regard to this criterion when setting a reference price for a group of interchangeable medicinal products. In addition, I am also proposing to amend this section to include a reference to agreements such as those recently agreed with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, IPHA, and the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in Ireland, APMI, to ensure that the State can continue to benefit from price reductions contained in those agreements.