Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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104. To ask the Minister for Health the potential cost savings and benefits to health of introducing a national pharmaceuticals policy, which ensures that persons receive quality drugs at the lowest possible price and that doctors prescribe the minimum of required drugs to treat the patient's illness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13767/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I understand that central procurement is a key element of national pharmaceutical policies in other countries. The Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to examine opportunities for leveraging purchasing power either through national or European initiatives and for making greater use of effective but less costly medicines.

Most drugs and medicines reimbursed by the HSE are supplied to patients through over 1,800 contracted community pharmacies which, in turn, purchase them from wholesalers or, to a lesser extent, directly from manufacturers. The community pharmacist is paid a fee for dispensing medicines to patients.

The HSE maintains a Reimbursement List of all products reimbursed under the Community Drug Schemes, under the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The Act permits the HSE to set the prices of all products on the Reimbursement List, subject to certain conditions. All medicines on the list which are off patent are subject to generic substitution and reference pricing.

In relation to High Tech drugs, the HSE purchases these drugs directly from the manufacturer for supply through community pharmacies; pharmacists are paid a patient care fee for dispensing these drugs.

The HSE keeps the price of medicines under ongoing review, and works continuously to achieve greater efficiencies in the areas of drug pricing, supply and distribution. The Executive has a number of initiatives already underway or in development, particularly under the National Drug Cost Management Programme and the Medicines Management Programme, which provides national leadership relating to issues such as the quality of the medicines management process, access to medicines and overall expenditure on medicines.

In addition, my Department has recently created a new Community Pharmacy, Dental, Optical and Aural Policy unit to bring a renewed focus to the development of policy in relation to community pharmacy and the issues associated with achieving maximum benefit to patients.