Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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582. To ask the Minister for Health if he will sanction the use of Erivedge in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork who cannot afford to pay the cost of this drug and cannot afford to wait until it becomes available through the Health Service Executive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49701/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer, are not political or ministerial decisions. These are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds by the HSE and often on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE).

I understand that the HSE received an application for the inclusion of Erivedge® on the Reimbursement List. The application was considered in line with the procedures and timescales agreed by the Department of Health and the HSE with the NCPE for the assessment of new medicines. In accordance with these procedures, the NCPE conducted a pharmacoeconomic evaluation of Erivedge®. The report is available on the NCPE's website.

As the manufacturer was unable to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of Erivedge® in the Irish health care setting, the NCPE was unable to recommend reimbursement of the drug under the community drug schemes at the current price.

The NCPE report is an important input to assist decision making and helps inform the next stage of the process which involves further discussions with the manufacturer of the drug, in accordance with the aforementioned procedures agreed with the pharmaceutical industry.

The HSE assessment process is intended to arrive at a decision on the funding of new medicines that is clinically appropriate, fair, consistent and sustainable. As the decision making process is still ongoing it is not possible to comment further.