Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

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 point.

I agree with Senator Barrett's call to reduce costs, where we can, across the system. The Bill is a very important initiative on medicines and reminds us of the necessity to reduce costs, where possible. As the Senator said, that aim is not confined to the area of medicines and suggested that we reduce the cost of services. We should be preoccupied with that aim.

I take Senator Barrett's point on the broader issue of health insurance, what insurance companies can achieve and the contribution that they can make to reduce costs. We are faced with an enormous challenge. I know that we describe everything in the health service as a challenge. It must be acknowledged that many great things are happening in the health services all the time. There are challenges because of medical inflation. The cost of procedures are genuinely increasing but in other cases one must wonder how the cost is configured. Questions must be asked, and will continue to be asked, about cost structures and are being addressed. The Department will redouble its efforts in that regard. I thank Senator Barrett for his assistance and contributions.

Equally, I thank Senator Colm Burke. I agree with his emphasis on the IT dimension to this and what can be achieved. We can see it in other countries. I have had an opportunity to study what happens in other comparable countries. One development the Government wants to see is the introduction of a unique patient identifier which would put the management of data and efficiencies in the system right at the heart of what we are doing. We must press on with that. Our plan is to introduce legislation later this year which will provide for a unique patient identifier, which I hope could then be deployed and used right across the entire system, not least in the area of prescriptions and prescribing, but also right across all of the management of the health services. In primary care, it would be crucial to have that.

I remind the House that the programme for Government includes a commitment that: "Reference pricing and greater use of generics will be introduced to reduce the State's large drugs bill and the cost to individuals of their medications." That commitment in the programme for Government, I am happy to say, has been addressed and has now been achieved by the passing of this legislation in the Houses.

The Bill improves and updates the statutory basis for the supply of medicines and other prescribed items under the General Medical Services and community drugs schemes. I reiterate my commitment and the commitment of the Government to maintain access to new medicines for Irish patients. This needs to be done in the most cost-effective and efficient manner possible.

The core objective of the Bill is to achieve value while maintaining and improving levels of service. In doing so, the Bill will introduce a system of reference pricing and generic substitution for prescribed drugs and medicines which will ultimately lead to savings for taxpayers and patients.

I again thank the Senators for their constructive input to the debate on this Bill. I assure them that, as always, the Government has carefully considered all of the issues and concerns that have been raised during the course of the debate in the House last autumn when the Seanad first addressed this Bill and today, and also by Deputies in the Lower House. I am satisfied that the provisions of the Bill address the concerns raised by Members of both Houses. To reference back to Senator MacSharry's point, I will keep the implementation of reference pricing and generic substitution under constant review, as I am sure Members of the House will also.

I commend the Bill to the House.