Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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140. To ask the Minister for Health if he has investigated why the price of units of cancer drugs is up to more than €200 higher in this State than elsewhere, given recent research (details supplied) highlighting this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44447/15]

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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141. To ask the Minister for Health why Bevacizumab which is used to treat breast, lung, renal and ovarian cancer costs €1,319 in Ireland as against €1,085 in the United Kingdom, if he has queried this price difference with the manufacturer and supplier of this drug; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44448/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 141 together.

The prices of drugs vary between countries for a number of reasons, including different prices set by manufacturers, different wholesale and pharmacy mark-ups, different dispensing fees and different rates of VAT. The size of the market can also be a factor in the prices set by manufacturers.

The Lancet Oncologystudy referred to by the Deputy relates to list prices of products. The authors make clear in the text of the study that the study does not consider the actual commercially confidential discounted prices in place, and therefore has limitations.

For example, gemcitabine and zoledronic acid are off-patent hospital drugs, for which Irish hospitals would have contracts in place with additional discounts below the list prices. The final prices paid for those drugs would be significantly lower than those reported in the Lancetarticle, which clearly states that the prices surveyed are list prices only.

Similarly, the price of the hospital-administered drug bevacizumab reported in the article is a list price, and does not reflect any commercially confidential discounts that may be in place.

With regard to drug prices in Ireland more generally, engagement between the State and the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association regarding a possible successor pricing and supply agreement to the existing (2012) Agreement is expected to commence early in 2016.