Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, for giving a comprehensive reply to this matter. Like Senator Darragh O’Brien, I have been in contact with many MS sufferers for whom the drug was successful. In one case I know, the pharmacy is providing the drug at cost to the MS sufferer. When I raised this matter on the Adjournment on 17 June, I was advised that a new application would be submitted, which happened on 25 July. I agree with the Minister that care has to be taken on the cost of pharmaceuticals, when one considers that in 2000 the health services paid €570 million for medicines but by 2010 this had gone up to €2 billion, a significant increase. Accordingly, we can no longer write blank cheques, which appears to have been the case in the ten years to which I just referred. We need to get value for money.

From my research into this matter, the drug works for some MS sufferers but not for others. There is also an issue around its cost-effectiveness. It is important that a decision is made on this soon, because the drug accommodates people and makes their lives better. For an MS sufferer, it is a condition for life. We must introduce any measure we can for those patients. We must do all possible to come to an arrangement to ensure that the availability of this drug is economically viable.

I have an Adjournment matter this evening on the approval of another drug on the GMS scheme. In this case, an application was submitted by the manufacturer to the HSE in April. My understanding is that a decision should be made in four months but, again, none has been made. In the case of Fampyra, every effort should be made to reach an agreement that will be economically viable for the HSE while providing benefits to those for whom this drug is suitable.