Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 313: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the policy of the Health Service Executive with regard to the use of generic medicines as opposed to branded medicines; if she is satisfied that the choice between generic and branded medicines is dealt with consistently throughout the health service; the HSE's research on the cost implications of using generic versus branded medicines; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9227/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Generic drugs are widely available in the Irish market, particularly in the hospital sector. Use of a proprietary drug or a generic equivalent is a matter for the prescriber, in consultation with the patient. My Department supports the increased use of generics where this is appropriate and achievable in the Irish drugs market.

A new agreement with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) was negotiated by a HSE-led team, including representatives from my Department, in 2006. One of the objectives of the IPHA agreement is to enhance the ability of patients to have a greater say in the prescribing process with a view to choosing, in consultation with the prescriber, the medicine that best meets their needs and delivers best value for money. The agreement also provides for significant reductions in the price of patent-expired proprietary medicines. These reductions (20% in March 2007 and a further 15% in January 2009) will, on full implementation, largely remove the current premium paid for these products over many branded and non-branded generic equivalents. Based on expert advice from the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, received prior to the negotiation of the IPHA agreement, it was concluded that a system of compulsory generic substitution in the pharmacy, as used in some other jurisdictions, would have significantly less benefit in the Irish community schemes than in other countries but could, given the relative size of the Irish market, have an adverse effect on continuity and security of supply for Irish patients.

Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services is a matter for the Health Service Executive under the 2004 Health Act. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider this specific issue of consistency of use of generic as opposed to branded medicines throughout the health service, including the cost implications. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have these aspects investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.