Results 3,401-3,420 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: First, a communications strategy is certainly essential, as I indicated earlier. Second, section 24 is of some relevance to the point raised by the Deputy because it has to do with the intervals between reviews. It is not as if it would take place every week or every couple of weeks. Intervals will be provided for with regard to price reviews.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: I could not disagree with anything the Deputy has said. Communication is important and it is important the professionals involved, the prescriber and the pharmacist, communicate with the patients concerned so that people know what is being done. When this legislation and new regime are implemented, it will behove everybody involved, particularly the professionals, to ensure there is clarity...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: Yes, absolutely. I hope also that all of us, as citizens and patients, will be encouraged to take a closer interest in medication and medicines prescribed for people. We have a role as agents of our own health and well-being in this regard. However, the principal responsibility lies with the professionals to ensure there is proper communication on this.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: The pharmacists and their representative body are well engaged with what is proposed here. I am quite sure the points made by Deputies Naughten and Ó Caoláin, which I support, about this new environment are being taken on board by them.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: Obviously, we all accept and acknowledge that human error can occur occasionally. We live in a human world where errors can occur. It should be emphasised, leaving aside this legislation completely, that the high degree of reliance we place on the professionalism of those involved in our prescriptions system - doctors, consultants, GPs and pharmacists - is well repaid. I think we can all...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: Yes, but I offered section 15 as a possible answer to some of the issues the Deputies reasonably raised. I have to be honest and say I had not considered the specific issue raised by the Deputy. It has just occurred to me that, on a reasonable reading of section 15, it is helpful in dealing with the issue he has raised.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: I will consider it.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: I have referred to section 15 which I respectfully suggest is relevant. However, perhaps more relevant to what the Deputy is raising is what is included in section 12 which provides that there be no liability on the part of the pharmacist with regard to substitution in the circumstances set out in the section. That is highly relevant in terms of the concern raised by the Deputy. We will...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: We will certainly revisit these issues with the IPU.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: Section 12 gives protection in respect of any liability or action conceivably being taken against the pharmacist or the prescriber. I repeat that section 15 is relevant in that it gives discretion to the pharmacist when presented with a prescription.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: I move amendment No. 7: In page 22, to delete lines 19 and 20 and substitute the following:"prescription ought not to be dispensed because to do so may be prejudicial to-(a) the health of the patient for whom the prescription was written, or (b) the health or safety of members of the public.".

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: We are dealing with section 15 and I am not sure whether I should deal with my amendment now.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: As we have been discussing, the purpose of section 15 is to ensure requirements regarding generic substitution do not affect a pharmacist's discretion not to dispense a medicinal product. As drafted, the section is explicit in its expectation that the pharmacist's professional opinion will inform the decision to dispense on the grounds of the health of the patient. However, in practice,...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: It most certainly does. "Prescriber" includes a GP.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: Persons with the power to prescribe include GPs. I share Deputy Kelleher's concern about benzodiazepines, which Deputy Ó Caoláin and others share. In respect of the Chairman's comments about pharmacists, we are enhancing the role and strengthening the hand of the pharmacist. With regard to pharmacists declining to dispense, there was a concern that this would affect the health of...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: I move amendment No. 8: In page 24, subsection (3)(b), lines 33 and 34, to delete all words from and including "the" in line 33 down to and including "run" in line 34 and substitute the following:"the running of the period of 180 days referred to in subsection (2) is, upon the giving of the notice referred to in paragraph (a) to the applicant, suspended".

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: I propose to take amendments Nos. 9 and 10 together. Part 4 of the Bill sets out statutory procedures concerning the supply and reimbursement of medicines and other items to patients under the general medical scheme and community drugs schemes. Section 19 of the Bill sets out the action to be taken by the HSE where it makes a relevant decision under section 18 of the Bill, namely, to add or...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: The list.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: I retain my respectful view that section 17 deals with the maintenance of the list. The Deputies may well have raised an issue in respect of which I could perhaps seek further clarification between now and Report Stage as to precisely the technical process by which changes are made to the list. Deputy Billy Kelleher inquired as to whether prescribers and dispensers would be obliged to...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2013)

Alex White: I understand the point. However, section 19 deals with the process by which the HSE will make decisions and revert to suppliers on such decisions. I respectfully suggest that what Deputy Billy Kelleher proposes in his amendments is excessive and unnecessary, particularly if he is advocating that all prescribers and pharmacists and, as Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin recommended,...