Results 3,881-3,900 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White

Seanad: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Alex White: I will explain it again if there is a wish to do so. We will not wait until the last piece of information is in before the clock starts on the 180 day period, which is what the original position would have been. Given these amendments, the total period will be 180 days. The effect will be to expedite the process.

Seanad: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Alex White: The purpose of the amendment is not to lengthen the period. I agree with Senator MacSharry on the importance of expediting the applications, which should be done anyway. I agree very much with his emphasis in that respect. It would be wrong to imagine that it would take a period of multiple years to achieve the aims we are setting out. It is not appropriate to aggregate the periods in...

Seanad: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Alex White: The board can work on different sets of drugs simultaneously and there is no reason to believe the periods would be aggregated in that way. The Senator made a rhetorical point but the directive, to which we must have regard, helps us. We would have to abide by a directive even if it had an adverse effect but in this case it does not as the effect is positive.

Seanad: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Alex White: This relates to a pharmacist's discretion not to dispense a medicinal product. The purpose of section 15 of the Bill is to ensure that requirements regarding generic substitution do not affect a pharmacist's discretion not to dispense a medicinal product. As originally drafted, section 15 was explicit in its expectation that the pharmacist's professional opinion will inform the decision to...

Seanad: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Alex White: This relates to the notice period for the relevant decision to add or remove an item from the reimbursement list. As drafted section 19 of the Bill provides that the HSE shall give notice in writing to the supplier of the item of relevant decisions it makes regarding the reimbursement list. Section 19(3) provides that the HSE may specify a date for the implementation of decisions to add or...

Seanad: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Alex White: This relates to the criteria for price setting. Section 21 of the Bill sets out the criteria to be taken into account by the HSE when it is considering the proposed price of an item for inclusion on the list of reimbursable items. To address concerns regarding the need for the HSE to safeguard continuity of supply when setting prices, section 21(2) was amended to add "the ability of...

Seanad: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Alex White: This relates to compliance regulations. Section 32 of the Bill provides for amendments to the Pharmacy Act 2007 to ensure compliance with the relevant provisions of this Bill. Section 7 of the Pharmacy Act is amended to ensure it will be a function of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, PSI, to ensure that pharmacists operate generic substitution in accordance with the legislation....

Seanad: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Alex White: Will the Senator please repeat that?

Seanad: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Alex White: I am trying to find my notes and if the Senator continues I am sure I will.

Seanad: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Alex White: May I first address the points raised by Senators Marc MacSharry and Colm Burke? In regard to the timescales expected, my advice is that we can expect to see movement within two to three months of the signing into law of this Bill by the President which I hope will happen in a matter of a short number of weeks. I would expect that upon enactment, it will take two to three months for the...

Seanad: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (22 May 2013)

Alex White: I thank the Senators for their participation and contribution to the debate. I also thank them for their helpful insights into the relatively small number of issues that we have dealt with today. Last autumn the Seanad dealt with the Bill and Senators made a very helpful input. Today, the amendments have returned from the Dáil and the contributions have been helpful and very much on...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services Provision (23 May 2013)

Alex White: Dental services to children up to 16 years are provided by the Public Dental Service of the HSE. The service is targeted at children at key stages in their development. Children are given dental examinations and any follow-up treatment required at these stages. When required, emergency dental treatment is available to all children up to 16 years. The HSE has been asked to examine the specific...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Provision (23 May 2013)

Alex White: Community chiropody is a discretionary service, which the Health Service Executive endeavours to provide on a prioritised basis within the context of available resources and competing needs for such resources. The HSE has been asked to examine the query raised by the Deputy and to reply to him as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Medical Services Scheme Review (23 May 2013)

Alex White: The current General Medical Services (GMS) GP Capitation Contract was introduced in 1989 and is based on a diagnosis and treatment model. Under the GMS contract, GPs receive a range of fees and allowances, including an annual capitation payment in respect of each medical card and GP visit card patient on their GMS list. Section 11 of the current contract states as follows: The medical...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Orthodontic Services Waiting Lists (23 May 2013)

Alex White: The HSE has commissioned an independent review of orthodontic services. The outcome of this review will give guidance as to what changes will be desirable to provide the best possible model of care delivery, given the current resources available and future demand for services. It is anticipated that a report for consideration by the HSE and the Department of Health will be ready by the end of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Water Fluoridation (23 May 2013)

Alex White: The name of the company that undertook the national audit of the fluoridation process at water treatment plants commissioned by the Irish Expert Group on Fluorides and Health in 2008/2009 is Tobin Consultancy Engineers. The annual budget for the full operational and labour costs excluding chemicals associated with the 250 water fluoridation plants nationally is €2.2 million.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Water Fluoridation (23 May 2013)

Alex White: The costs of €4,426 relate to the installation of dosing pipe work. The costs of €14,450 relate to the installation of the bulk tank, bulk tank bund, bulk tank seal, bulk tank level indicator, bulk tank security, day tank, day tank bund, day tank bund seal, weighing scales, dosing pump, transfer pump, dead man's handle, transfer pipe work, transfer pipe work security, dosing...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Generic Drugs Substitution (23 May 2013)

Alex White: The HSE has been working with General Practitioners over many years to encourage better quality prescribing of drugs in Ireland. In 2012, the HSE’s Medicines Management Programme (MMP) was established to further this agenda and to communicate with prescribers regarding best practice. Over the coming weeks the MMP plans to attend a number of regional GP meetings to convey programme...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Generic Drugs Substitution (23 May 2013)

Alex White: The Department is committed to establishing high-level annual targets by the end of September for the share of generic penetration over the medium-term. These targets will be informed by the findings of a report currently being completed by the ESRI which is examining the usage of generics in Ireland and comparable EU jurisdictions.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Provision (23 May 2013)

Alex White: Delivery of health care infrastructure is a service matter. Therefore your question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.