Mary Ann O'Brien (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for attending. I would like the Minister for Health to outline the further action he intends to take to address the large variations in drug prices nationwide as revealed in the recent survey published by the National Consumer Agency, NCA. The survey reveals significant differences in the cost of prescription medicines. The cost of a prescription can vary depending on the chemist a person chooses. The NCA survey highlights that for 39 frequently prescribed medicines, there are major differences in price, both locally and nationally. The key findings were that, nationally, the percentage difference in prices of individual prescription medicines ranged from 37% to 199% and the average percentage difference across all products nationally was 56%. Losec is a prescription medicine used by many people who suffer from stomach ulcers. There was a 122% difference in the cost of a 20 mg tablet in Waterford with prices ranging from ¤22.43 to ¤49.69. We are not talking about wine, spirits, meat or vegetables; we are talking about medicines people need. Surely the Minister for Health can find a way to flatline this situation for the citizens of this country.