Seán Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 293: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if a pre-operation preparation (details supplied) will be included on the list for medical card holders. [11236/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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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. For an item to be reimbursed, it 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. Products are considered for reimbursement on application by a supplier.

An application to have Klean-Prep included on the common list was received by my Department in 1998 and again in 2001. Following careful consideration, and with particular attention to the indications for which the product is prescribed, the application was rejected on each occasion on the grounds that the product was more suited for use in a hospital setting. It is therefore a matter for each hospital to make the product available to patients who require it.

People who experience undue financial hardship in obtaining any particular product should contact the local area of the Health Service Executive. Any further application by a supplier to have Klean-Prep included on the common list will be considered in the usual way.