Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 72: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress made to date on replacement of branded drugs with their generic counterparts in order to save money; if she will ensure that the cases made for the exclusion of certain drugs from the scheme because they are more effective than the generic will be examined by experts and fairly considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20192/10]

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding her plans to introduce reference pricing; the amount that will be saved from the introduction of reference pricing; her views on whether some categories of medicines are not suitable for substitution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20258/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 92 together.

The Government has decided to introduce a system of reference pricing combined with generic substitution under the GMS and community drugs schemes. This will promote price competition and deliver ongoing savings for both the State and for patients. Achieving greater value for money in this area of expenditure will ensure that patients can continue to access innovative and affordable medicines.

A working group, made up of officials and healthcare professionals from my Department and the HSE, has set out a proposed model for the implementation of this initiative. I received the report of this working group last week and it shall be published on my Department's website shortly. I expect to see significant progress on the recommendations of the report in 2010, including the identification of legislative and administrative changes required to give effect to them, where appropriate, in 2011.

There are some categories of medicines that are not suitable for substitution. In addition, there are also certain circumstances where an individual patient should receive a particular product. With a system of generic substitution, it is important that all decisions about the interchangeability of medicines are evidence-based and take into account best practice elsewhere. A key recommendation of the report is that an expert group should provide guidance on this matter.