Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 206: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the measures the Health Service Executive has in place to allow pharmacists sell generic medicines instead of branded drugs; if she will list in tabular form the cost to the State of the top ten pharmacy dispensed drugs including, if applicable, their equivalent cost if supplied in generic form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13230/08]

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 generic equivalent is a matter for the prescriber, in consultation with the patient. My Department supports the increased use of generics where appropriate and achievable in the Irish drugs market. A new agreement with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association was negotiated by a HSE-led team, including representatives from my Department, in 2006. One of the objectives of the 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 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 Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association 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 the Deputy's request for a list detailing the cost to the State of the top ten pharmacy drugs dispensed including, if applicable, their equivalent cost if supplied in generic form. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the basis the Health Service Executive uses in determining base price when negotiating with the pharmaceutical industry; the way that base price compares to that negotiated in other European countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13231/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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A new agreement with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, representing research-based pharmaceutical manufacturers, was negotiated by a HSE-led team, including representatives from my Department, in 2006. A separate agreement was concluded with the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of Ireland, representing the generic manufacturers, in October 2006. Both agreements include provisions relating to the pricing and supply of drugs and medicines under the GMS and community drugs schemes. As the HSE has operational responsibility for these agreements, under the provisions of the Health Act 2004, it is the appropriate body to provide the specific information sought by the Deputy. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.