Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am sure the Minister of State, Deputy Alex White, will share in my extending congratulations to the National Consumer Agency on its report published this week which highlights the variations in charges for prescription drugs in this jurisdiction. The agency is to be commended for its work. I would like to give a flavour of the position in this regard.

The media and politicians have tended to concentrate largely on those producing medicines-drugs. I have for some time believed pharmacies have been keeping their heads down as regards the variations in charges for medicines-drugs. The ones who are losing as a result are the consumer and, through the drug refund scheme, the taxpayer. I will give an example of what is set out in the NCA study which applies nationally. The percentage difference in price of individual prescription medicines ranges from 37% to 119%. The average percentage difference across all products nationally is 56%. In terms of how the consumer is being misled, the average price variation among the 39 prescription medicines included in the study is 30% and 27% in Galway and Waterford, respectively. The corresponding figure for Cork and Limerick is 29%. These are huge variations.

I have never believed in self-regulation. Historically, it has not worked well in this country. This is proof positive that pharmacies, left to their own devices, will engage in this behaviour. They have some explaining to do. I will give an example in Dublin from the study. The cost of a particular drug used in the treatment of stomach complaints varies in price from €19.96 to €42.33, a difference of 112%. Given the variations in price of the same product in a small city like Dublin, pharmacies have some questions to answer.

On regulation, as legislators, we cannot put our trust in pharmacies. I do not include pharmacies in general, as I know the prices in most pharmacies in my area, of which there is a large selection, including branches of one or two of the large multiples, are modest. We must address this issue. As legislators, we may have run out of time in doing so.

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