Dáil debates

Wednesday, 6 December 2017

Topical Issue Debate

Medicinal Products Availability

3:20 pm

Photo of John BrassilJohn Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will cut straight to the chase. This is the second time I have raised this as a topical issue. The last time was in March and the battle has continued. In September the drug Respreeza was made available by its company for six months but the administration and distribution were not agreed. There were 21 patients but there are now only 19 as two have tragically passed away. I say this with a heavy heart but I feel the Oireachtas, the HSE and the Minister have failed this patient cohort. There has been intensive lobbying and I acknowledge that the Minister took calls and had meetings with me on this matter. On Saturday night the HSE agreed to fund the administration of the drug for the next six months but it stated that it had agreed to a six-month transition in the interests of patient safety to allow patients to transition to alternative care arrangements. If there were alternative care arrangements for these patients they would have been on them a long time ago.

This drug has been life-changing for the 21 patients to whom I referred. It defies all logic for people to continue to make the argument that it does not work. Two patients have passed away in five weeks without this drug and another patient is seriously ill in hospital as we speak. I hope his recovery will be promoted by the reintroduction of the drug. A fourth patient in Kerry is showing serious signs of deterioration of health and a fifth, who had not received an antibiotic for three years, is now back on antibiotics. I cannot be convinced that this drug does not work - it does work.

If the Minister does not want to fund it, he should state that he does not want to because he does not have the money. I ask him to stop making the argument that the drug does not work. It most certainly does.

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