Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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16. To ask the Minister for Health the latest status of the existing agreement between the State and the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association on pharmaceutical prices, signed in 2012; his plans to further reduce the cost of medicines to patients and the taxpayer; if the Government’s legislative powers to impose a price cut on pharmaceutical firms will be employed; the savings it is envisaged this will provide; the effect of employing the lowest price of medications in reference countries rather than the average price in these countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14712/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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In 2012 the State entered into a new three year price reduction Agreement with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association. This Agreement remains in place until 31st October this year.

As the end of the current Agreement approaches consideration is being given to a range of options available to the State in seeking to deliver further savings on the cost of drugs. Such options include entering into a new Agreement with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association as well as the possibility of using the legislative powers afforded to the HSE under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 to review and alter prices.

An important objective in any new arrangement will be to secure significant savings on the projected cost of drugs, as well as continued access to cost effective treatments. Since such savings may be the subject of negotiations with industry, I do not wish to place the State's detailed position or estimated savings into the public domain in advance.