Results 6,001-6,020 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: I anticipated that some of these issues would be raised, many of which are more germane to section 5 than section 4. I am in the Chairman's hands as to when we will deal with 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: I am in the committee's hands. I will deal with any of these issues as they are very fair. The issue of timing is specific to section 4. Deputy Kelleher is correct that there is no defined timeline. It would not be reasonable to have precise timelines and Deputy Kelleher would not expect us to legislate for them. The section provides that the board "shall" act as soon as is practicable,...

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: That will be an important requirement. I accept that.

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: Not at all. The Irish Medicines Board is devising, as it must, a communications strategy which does not rely solely on the Internet, as has been suggested.

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 happy to proceed unless any of the members wish me 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: Is this on section 1?

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: Essentially the section provides for the Short Title, the collective citation and the commencement. It is the provision that appears in any similar legislation but there is no proposal to incorporate the scenario to which Deputy Naughten refers. The Bill deals with the pricing and supply of medical goods and there is no proposal to extend it beyond the pricing and supply of medical goods.

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 made by the Deputy but to be perfectly frank, this is not the type of legislation that would comprehend the regime be believes ought to be provided for in statutory form. In all likelihood that would require not just amending legislation but a different type of legislation. This Bill provides for the substitution of generic drugs for branded drugs. The scheme of the...

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: Foodstuffs.

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 is something we can contemplate in a discussion in the future on what kind of legislation would allow for the kind of scenario raised by the Deputy. We can only do a certain amount in this legislation and a huge amount is being done here. However, we cannot try to extend it outside the basic remit contemplated which is the substitution of generic drugs for branded drugs in certain...

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: That precise point may not require to be provided for in a Bill at all. What the Deputy is talking about may be possible in any event. I am sceptical that this legislation is the location for the kind of scenario to which the Deputy refers. If there is anything he wishes to say to me between now and Report Stage that might develop the point, I would certainly listen.

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 am being asked to clarify the issue.

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 certainly consider what the Deputy has said.

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 soon as the legislation is enacted and commenced, the Irish Medicines Board will decide on the medicines for inclusion in interchangeable groups on the list of interchangeable medicines. Market authorisation holders, MAHs, will be consulted on the proposed groups of interchangeable medicines and will then have 28 days in which to comment to the Irish Medicines Board. We anticipate that...

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 am satisfied that there will be sufficient time. Obviously the Irish Medicines Board is anticipating the passing of the legislation. Therefore, it is already in a position to begin to consider and, I am advised, has begun to consider the work it will have to undertake once the Bill is enacted. It will not be a complete year zero when the President signs the legislation. Like Deputies, I...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (14 Mar 2013)

Alex White: The Dental Treatment Service Scheme (DTSS) provides access to dental treatment for adult medical card holders. All medical card holders are entitled to specific dental treatments e.g., an annual dental examination, two fillings in each calendar year, extractions as necessary. Patients with special needs, high risk patients and those who have greater clinical needs, including patients with...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Applications (14 Mar 2013)

Alex White: The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Appeals (14 Mar 2013)

Alex White: The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (14 Mar 2013)

Alex White: Under the General Medical Services (GMS) contract, a general practitioner (GP) is expected to provide his/her patients who hold medical cards or GP visit cards with all proper and necessary treatment of a kind generally undertaken by a GP. The contract between the HSE and GPs under the GMS Scheme stipulates that fees are not paid to GPs by the HSE in respect of certain medical...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Appeals (14 Mar 2013)

Alex White: The Health Service Executive has been asked to examine this matter and to reply to the Deputy as soon as possible.