Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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We will do that. It is an important issue.

No. 943B is related to what Deputy Carthy has just mentioned. It is from Mr. Mark Griffin, Secretary General of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, and dated 1 December 2021. It provides information requested by the committee regarding non-compliant procurement. It concerns two contracts, totalling under €1 million and excluding VAT. Is it agreed that we note and publish this correspondence? Agreed? It was also flagged by Deputy Catherine Murphy.

The next category of correspondence is category C, which contains correspondence from and related to private individuals and any other correspondence. No. 947C is from a PhD candidate with the Royal College of Surgeons and dated 1 December 2021. It is a submission to the committee raising concerns about governance arrangements for payments from pharmaceutical companies to healthcare organisations and healthcare professionals. The correspondence states the evidence is that the receipt of pharmaceutical company payments is associated with higher prescribing rates, higher prescribing costs and lower prescribing quality.

Given that public funds are expended on prescription medication, it is important that robust and effective governance arrangements be in place. While a wider examination of this issue might be more appropriate to the health committee, I propose in the first instance to request the correspondent's consent to forward the correspondence to the Department of Health to request a response to the matters raised.

This correspondence has been flagged for discussion by me and Deputy Catherine Murphy who is not present. The issue is the negative influence in respect of the prescribing of medication. Undue influence could be exerted by big pharmaceutical companies, which have a lot of clout, to promote a particular brand or quantity of a drug. That is of concern. As the student pointed out, the State alone spent €2.3 billion on pharmaceuticals in 2020. It rose from €1.3 billion in 2012, so it is a substantial amount of money.