Results 1,921-1,940 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: As for patients, I mentioned earlier on Committee Stage that at present, the HSE is involved in 100 medication usage reviews involving 16 primary care teams nationwide, as well as the local pharmacists. Its purpose is to acquire good data on the use of medication. It is known that 45% of medication prescribed and dispensed is not appropriately used and 20% of people do not take their...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: In response to Senator Prendergast's point, if fewer items are prescribed even more money will be saved because we will not be obliged to pay for the medication and it will not merely be a question of saving 50 cent. As we would not be obliged to pay for the medication in the first place, clearly, the savings would be greater. I assure the Senator that very few items, if any, are prescribed...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: Senator Ó Brolcháin is talking politically, of course.

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: I am happy to respond to our debate on this Bill, the purpose of which is to impose a prescription charge. As to the administration, a number of Senators seem to be under the illusion that a host of people in an office will go through various files to ascertain how to collect 50 cent. All payments for items through the general medical services, GMS, are computerised. If one uses a medical...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: A number are under pressure, but not because we are not paying them much. By international standards, we are paying them a great deal. However, many pharmacies, particularly in urban areas, got caught up in the property boom. Some of them paid an exorbitant amount to enter a business that the health service cannot sustain or be expected to sustain. I have considerable sympathy for those...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: Pharmacy is unlike any other retail business. Patients are entitled to engage on a confidential basis with pharmacists. I attended a recent meeting with Dr. Barry White, the new director of clinical care and quality at the HSE concerning the roll-out of new clinical care pathways. Some 24 clinicians, all leaders in their fields, have been appointed to roll out a new clinical care pathway...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: They have considerable potential that we have not tapped. Sometimes, we seek to include new professionals in providing services. For example, I have provided for nurse prescribing in terms of X-rays and medication and for the involvement of nurses in the forensic examination of sexual assault victims. These initiatives are greatly enhancing the role of nurses and make more sense, as nurses...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: All community pharmacy contractors have a contract with the HSE which involves their being paid. In the case of the GMS, general medical services, scheme they are paid a particular fee for the first 20 items prescribed and a different fee thereafter. The payments systems are linked by computers and technology. The HSE has good data in respect of each person, what he or she gets each month...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: It is impossible to define in legislation what palliative care means and to identify it with the medical card. That is why there is a need for specific regulations because these are complex and difficult issues. With regard to the IMO proposals, essentially, we need doctors to prescribe differently. The clinical care pathways being rolled out by Dr. Barry White will include prescribing...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: If we compare this jurisdiction with Northern Ireland, we have similar demographics, a similar cultural experience and a shared history. In Northern Ireland the number of items per prescription is 1.7 whereas it is 3.7 here. If we compare two populations on the same island with similar demographics, doctors here prescribe much more than their counterparts in Northern Ireland. Any Minister...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: The things that receive attention in the health service are the things that go wrong, but I am happy to say many things are going right. Among them is the decision to allow nurses to prescribe. Although we do not yet have definitive research, the findings from other countries and the anecdotal evidence here suggest nurses are much more conservative in prescribing. They put much more...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: I again clarify that no old person will pay 5% of his or her income; the maximum percentage such a person will pay is 1.25%. The maximum amount to be paid will be €2.50 a week, if they have more than 20 prescription items a week. The charge is capped at a sum of €10 a month or €2.50 a week. As the old-age pension is slightly more than €200 a week, this amounts to a figure of 1.25%....

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: The intention is to bring this Act into operation as quickly as possible. However, it is the intention of the HSE GMS payments division to have discussions with the IPU. Subject to any time constraints that may be involved in administration, it will be done as quickly as possible. I hope this will be by 1 September. The intention was for this to happen earlier in the year but...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the House on Second Stage of the Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010. The Bill provides for charging modest fees in respect of prescribed items dispensed by community pharmacy contractors to persons who have medical cards. It provides for a charge of 50 cent per item prescribed by a registered medical practitioner, dentist or nurse and...

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: Yes.

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: They are required to be sterilised.

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: Is that a medical or a political clinic?

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: The Senator could double up in her work at this time of a moratorium.

Seanad: Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (30 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: I could use the Senator during the moratorium.

Hospital Services (29 Jun 2010)

Mary Harney: I thank Deputy O'Dowd for raising this issue. It is ironic that we are discussing this issue some 90 minutes after discussing patient safety. I assure the Deputy that everything being done in this regard is being done on the basis of the best clinical advice available to me and the HSE. I am conscious there are concerns and worries among the population of north Louth; that is to be...