James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

The pharmacological unit carries out a health technology assessment of a medication, but that is only part of the equation. The HSE has a group that further advises on and evaluates the matter above and beyond what the pharmacological unit has stated and the health technology assessment has shown. It is not true to say, therefore, that this alone decides whether a drug will be made available. The "Ipi" drug would never meet the health technology assessment requirements, but there were wider considerations taken into account by the group, given its impact on patients, and, therefore, it was made available.

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