James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Conway for raising this important issue, which I know he is very passionate about. I am answering on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly.The State acknowledges the importance of access to medicines and has made considerable investments in new medicines in recent years. Last year, a record of more than €3 billion of public funding was spent on medicines for patients in Ireland. This represents almost €1 of every €8 spent by the State on healthcare. This is in the context of a total allocation for the health service in 2024 of €22.5 billion. This level of investment is unprecedented in supporting patients by making available a wide range of the latest medicines. Budgets 2021 to 2023 have included dedicated funding for new medicines of €98 million. This has enabled the HSE to approve reimbursement for 148 medicines or licence extensions, including 61 for treating cancer and 39 for treating rare diseases.

However, expenditure has grown rapidly and we must ensure the sustainability of medicine expenditure. We must strive to maximise the available investment to provide as many people as possible with access to the medicines they need. In this context, policy and operational options are being pursued and they will be intensified including, for example, maximising the use of generic and biosimilar medicines across community and hospital settings. In 2024, the Minister asked the HSE, his Department and all relevant agencies and stakeholders to place a priority focus on achieving the most efficient and effective use of available resources. This will require opportunities for savings to be identified and implemented. Some €20 million of dedicated funding was allocated for new medicines in 2024. The Minister has also asked the HSE to ensure it realises at least €10 million in new additional efficiency gains. This money will be reinvested in new drugs. There will also be investment to enhance the HSE’s pricing and reimbursement process for medicines. This is a recommendation of the working group established after the publication of the Mazars report, which the Minister published in February of last year.

Investing in capacity will support the agencies involved to operate to the fullest of their abilities. This will enable them to conduct timely and efficient evaluations of medicines for reimbursement. Importantly, it will further support efforts to improve the sustainability of State pharmaceutical expenditure. It also will maximise the use of this substantial public investment to support access to more medicines for more people. The State cannot increase the level of savings without additional capacity in this area. An element of this is quicker assessment of biosimilar and generic medicines, which will drive sustainability in the medicines budget. The measures I have outlined will form an essential tool for the State to deliver sustainability in the medicines budget. Sustainability is essential to ensure that patients in Ireland can benefit from the best available treatments.