John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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342. To ask the Minister for Health the number of times he and or his officials have met with the representative body of the generics industry here on the issue of medicine pricing in each of the years 2015 to 2018 and to date in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15301/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Officials from my Department met with representatives of the Healthcare Enterprise Alliance on 31 May 2016 and Medicines for Ireland on 24 August 2017.

I also attended a breakfast meeting organised by the Healthcare Enterprise Alliance on 8 February 2017 entitled Medicine Spending: Value and Reform for Patients and Our Health Service.

John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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343. To ask the Minister for Health the reason no national pricing agreement exists with the representative body for the generics industry here; when the last agreement expired; his plans to negotiate a new agreement with the industry to drive a more competitive medicine market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15302/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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On 01 November 2012, a Framework Agreement was signed between the Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of Ireland and the Department of Health and the Health Services Executive on the supply terms, conditions and prices of generic medicines.  The duration of this agreement was three years from the 01 November 2012.

The Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 Act provided  for the introduction of a system of generic substitution and reference pricing, which determines the price for generic medicines.

The Framework Agreement on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines between the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association and the Department of Health, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Health Service Executive commenced on 01 August 2016 and shall continue in force until 31 July 2020.  The Framework Agreement provides a process for reference pricing on the introduction of interchangeable medicines.

I am advised that preparatory work for negotiations on the next Framework Agreement will commence in the coming months in my Department and in that regard relevant stakeholders will be consulted.