Written answers
Thursday, 5 February 2015
Department of Health
Medicinal Products Expenditure
Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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227. To ask the Minister for Health if full year savings of €330 million and 2013 savings of €160 million from reductions in the cost of drugs and other prescribed items as projected in the 2013 expenditure report have been realised; if not, the savings realised in 2013 and the full year savings realised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5301/15]
Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Projected savings and the outturn for 2013 are as set out in the following table:
| Measure | Projected savings in 2013 €million | 2013 outturn €million |
|---|---|---|
| IPHA/APMI Agreements | 120 | 125 |
| Quality Prescribing Initiative | 20 | - |
| Delisting of Drugs from the GMS reimbursable drugs | 15 | 11 |
| Oral Nutritional Supplements price reductions | 5 | 5.5 |
| Total | 160 | 141.5 |
The Medicines Management Programme of the HSE brought forward a series of measures in 2013 to promote more cost effective prescribing practices. Preferred medicines were recommended for statins and PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) in April 2013 and for Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs) in September 2013. The evidence suggested increased prescribing rates for the preferred statin and PPI by the end of 2013 but this did not have a measurable financial effect in 2013. The final outturn for 2014 is not yet available.
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