Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We have also offered support in terms of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill and will try to encourage the committee to move as quickly as possible with that. Equally, however, it is legislation that needs to be critically analysed on Committee Stage.

There was some price referencing between Ireland and New Zealand that showed huge disparities in the cost of drugs. Even with the legislation, we are still completely out of kilter with the norms for pricing of ordinary medicines, the every day drugs that are issued on prescription and this clearly cannot be sustained. The Bill will deal with aspects of that but there are other inherent difficulties in the system that lead to increased costs for medicines for individuals and the State through the reimbursement scheme.

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