John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this Bill from my colleague, Deputy Kelleher. I also welcome the positive response from the Minister and from Deputy Louise O'Reilly on behalf of Sinn Féin. With collaboration, we can get this legislation passed. It is meaningful in that it seeks to clear up the relationship between drug companies and medical practitioners to ensure that there are no beneficial rewards going to drug companies from clinicians.

Clinicians themselves would greatly welcome this. Statutory declarations are nothing new. We have been subject to them for many years. It has very much helped clear up the understanding that politicians in receipt of donations declare them and get on with their work without being beholden to anybody. The medical profession would welcome this clarity as well, particularly when a person such as Profession Michael Barry expresses concerns. Professor Barry believes that it influences prescribing patterns at present and he also has great difficulty where clinical leads are in receipt of any payments. I do not have any issue with drug companies making philanthropic donations to fund doctors or nurses, or whatever they want to fund, as long as it is upfront, declared and is for a hospital body as opposed to a specific clinicians who may have influence on prescribing patterns.

While I have the opportunity and while the Minister, Deputy Harris, is in the House, I would like to raise the issue of biosimilar projects, which I mentioned last week in the Minister's absence. I was under the impression that we needed a legislative change but the Minister has written to me since to clarify that there is no need for it. However, I would draw the Minister's attention to two products that are available at present. Enbrel is used for arthritis. There are 14,000 boxes a month being prescribed. It is a useful and effective drug. In recent times, there have been two biosimilars. One, Benepali, is available in this country. There are 56 boxes of that prescribed a month, versus 14,000 Enbrel. The different in cost at present is approximately €120. Multiple €120 by 14,000 by 12 and one will get the figure of a potential saving in the system. This morning I met the PKU Foundation trying to approve the use of the drug KUVAN and the cost is infinitesimal compared to that. We are looking for savings. We are looking for money to fund new endorphin drugs and maybe the solution is before us if we investigate it thoroughly. As the Minister will be aware, I am a practising pharmacist. A similar process happened with generic products many years ago. It was resisted repeatedly and now generic products are part and parcel of prescribing and pharmacy. They have brought about significant savings and that is as it should be. The companies that said they would go out of business have not done so and they are competing and maintaining their market share. That is something that we should be mindful of.

In working to pass this Bill, transparency, good prescribing practices and good value for money should be to the fore. It is the taxpayer who is paying for it. It is the HSE, using taxpayers' money, that is paying these bills and therefore they should be fully transparent and open to scrutiny. Everybody would be happy with a situation where there was a guarantee that this was happening.

I accept that there are issues with the Bill as drafted that need to be amended and my party will work with the Minister along with the other parties to ensure this happens. I commend this Bill, along with my colleague, Deputy Kelleher, to the House. I look forward to a speedy resolution and getting the Bill into Committee Stage and getting it passed.

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