Dr. Kieran Harkin:

To address the first two points the Deputy raised, we have done a lot of research into the cost-effectiveness of certain drugs. There has been much less research into the cost-effectiveness of other interventions. What is the cost-effectiveness of home help, physiotherapy or speech therapy?

That is particularly the case in the context of a limited health budget, when a new drug appears, €2 million or €3 million is whipped out and other aspects are put aside. We need to broaden our concept and stop thinking about just how much the drugs cost. We should, instead, consider how much interventions cost. Is it worth is? I am sure there are other areas, such as MRI scans, where we are also overspending. We need a broader examination of the cost effectiveness of all health interventions. If it was realised that the cost of another health intervention could be more useful, it might make us think twice before spending large amounts of money on a particular drug of limited efficiency. I read in The Sunday Business Post last week about doctors prescribing a relatively low rate of generic drugs.