John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 131: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the situation for a person on high levels of medication and availing of the €85 per month maximum on prescriptions and who is prescribed new drugs which must be bought separately due to the fact that they are not on the approved list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21445/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The common list of reimbursable medicines for the general medical services and drugs payment schemes is reviewed and amended monthly, as new products become available and deletions are notified. In order to be included on the list an item must comply with published criteria, including authorisation status as appropriate, price and, in certain cases, the intended use of the product. In addition, the product should ordinarily be supplied to the public only by medical prescription and should not be advertised or promoted to the public. It is a matter for the manufacturer or supplier to apply to my department for inclusion of a product on the list of reimbursable items. It is understood that no such application has been made in this case.

A person who experiences financial difficulty in obtaining products not on the list of reimbursable items should contact the Health Service Executive.