John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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184. To ask the Minister for Health the reason a national biosimilar policy has not been published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3548/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My Department and the HSE are engaging in a number of initiatives which will endeavour to lead to better access to medicines for patients, value for the taxpayer and the cost- effective provision of medicines in Ireland. 

A public consultation on a National Biosimilar Medicines Policy was undertaken by my Department in 2017.  The responses to that consultation and other possible policy levers are being considered by my Department with a view to developing a National Biosimilar Medicines Policy which will require the involvement of stakeholders from across the health service.  I expect that my Department will make progress in this regard in 2019.

At an operational level, the HSE's Acute Hospitals Drugs Management Programme has a biosimilar strategy in place since 2017 which is making considerable progress using a collaborative approach with hospital pharmacists and clinical teams to bring about changes in prescribing practice.  In that respect, hospitals are working towards a targeted minimum prescribing rate for biosimilars of 50%.