Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 253: To ask the Minister for Health the approximate value assigned that every quality adjusted life year is assigned by the National Centre for Phamacoeconomics when determining the cost effectiveness of new drugs; if this has changed since the start of the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34239/12]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) plays an important role in the assessment process of the cost effectiveness of new medicines. The NCPE report is an input into decision making in the HSE regarding the appropriateness of reimbursing medicines and determining price. A pharmaceutical manufacturer submits an economic dossier to the NCPE for assessment. This dossier relates the added cost (expressed in euro) to the added benefit (expressed in additional life years gained) or expressed in quality adjusted life years (QALY) for the medicine in question. Since 2009 the NCPE has assessed medicines using cost-effectiveness thresholds of €20, 000 and €45,000 per quality added life year (QALY). There has been no change to the range of values employed by the NCPE since the start of this year.