Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 194: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she has received correspondence from a person (details supplied) in County Galway regarding the fact that they have been told that her Department will not reimburse the cost of their medication and that to be reimbursed they must take an alternate medication instead, which is uncoated and would require them purchasing an additional medication to soothe their stomach; if she will instruct her Department to reimburse this person for the original, coated medication; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7999/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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An agreement is in place between the Department of Health and Children, the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association and the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of Ireland, which sets out the supply terms and prices of medicines supplied to the health services. The agreement covers all reimbursable prescription medicines in the general medical services and community drug schemes, and all medicines supplied to hospitals and the Health Service Executive. A price freeze is in place for products supplied under the terms of the agreement.

There is a common list of reimbursable medicines for the general medical services and drug payment schemes. This list is reviewed and amended monthly, as new products become available and deletions are notified. The product referred to by the Deputy has not been deleted from the list. The original manufacturers of the product divested ownership to another company. The new owner subsequently increased the price of the product, without prior consultation with my Department and in breach of the pricing agreement. Following negotiations with the company concerned, agreement has been reached on a revised price, which will come into effect in March.

I am in receipt of the correspondence referred to by the Deputy. Alternatives to the product concerned are available according to an individual's eligibility. In particular, people with a medical card who are experiencing financial difficulty in obtaining the product concerned should contact the local office of the Health Service Executive.