Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 587: To ask the Minister for Health if he has considered extending the items covered under the medical card to include vitamins or complexes such as antox prescribed by doctors for recovery from serious illness and operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31733/12]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Pharmaceutical companies must apply to the Health Service Executive (HSE), for their product(s) to be reimbursed under the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme and the community drugs schemes. Neither the HSE nor my Department has a role in the decision by a company as to whether it makes such an application to the HSE.

In order for a medicinal product to be considered by the HSE for reimbursement it must meet specified criteria. These include the following:

· The product must be an 'allopathic' medicinal product authorised by the Irish Medicines Board or the European Commission.

· The product must be such that it is ordinarily supplied to the public only on foot of a medical prescription.

· The product should not be advertised or promoted to the public.

Should the manufacturers of the products referred to by the Deputy submit an application for reimbursement it will be considered in the context of the above criteria.