Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 21 November 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

Evaluating Orphan Drugs: Discussion (Resumed)

9:00 am

Mr. Shaun Flanagan:

I think that is an unfair comment. I am quite happy to put on the record that we absolutely need biosimilars. Deputy Brassil is a pharmacist, as am I. We both know they are not substitutable. We both know they actually have to be prescribed by physicians as the biosimilar, as opposed to as the biologic. Professor Barry's team is working very hard to get what is called a best-value biosimilar document out for early in the new year to try and drive biosimilar uptake. I am quite happy to put on the record and avail of any publicity we might get out of today to say that we need the support of gastroenterologists, dermatologists and rheumatologists to write biosimilar prescriptions. They are less expensive to us and will deliver savings, but we need them to engage with their patient groups and get the patients to accept that a biosimilar will be used.

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