Written answers
Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Department of Health
Medicinal Products
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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988. To ask the Minister for Health the considerations that his Department is giving to the inclusion of the drugs saxenda and ozempic, both now recognised as valuable medications in the treatment of obesity, to the drugs payment scheme or medical card scheme for non-diabetic patients; if there are plans to widen the prescription of saxenda and ozempic to medical card holders with a BMI of greater than 35 as a preventative medicine or to those over 70 years; to outline the current criteria being used to determine prescribing these drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40310/23]
Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions, in accordance with the provisions of the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013.
In making a relevant reimbursement decision, the HSE is required under the Act to have regard to a number of criteria including efficacy, the health needs of the public, cost effectiveness and potential or actual budget impact.
HSE decisions on which medicines are reimbursed by the taxpayer are made on objective, scientific and economic grounds, on the advice of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE). I, as the Minister for Health, have no role in these decisions.
Saxenda (Liraglutide) 6 mg/ml solution has been made available for reimbursement support under the community drug schemes on a managed access basis since 1st January 2023. The HSE Medicines Management Programme (MMP) developed a Managed Access Protocol (MAP) for Saxenda (Liraglutide).
The relevant circular can be accessed at:
www.hse.ie/eng/staff/pcrs/circulars/pharmacy/pharmacy-circular-002-23-saxenda.pdf.
Further information is available on the MMP website at:
www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/cspd/medicines-management/managed-access-protocols/liraglutide-saxenda-/liraglutide-saxenda.html.
The HSE have advised that MAPs are used to identify patients or subgroups of patients who would most benefit from the specific treatment approved for reimbursement and for whom the clinical evidence of therapeutic benefit is strongest, and applications are reviewed by the MMP on a case-by-case basis.
Ozempic (Semaglutide) was approved by the HSE in 2018 for addition to the reimbursement list for the treatment of diabetes. Ozempic (Semaglutide) has not been approved for reimbursement for any other indication. Reimbursement support for Ozempic (Semaglutide) for the treatment of diabetes only is available to those with eligibility under the General Medical Services Scheme or the Long-Term Illness Scheme. This medicine is not available on the Drug Payment Scheme.
The relevant circular can be found at:
www.hse.ie/eng/staff/pcrs/circulars/pharmacy/pharmacy-circular-022-20-semaglutide-ozempic%C2%AE-.pdf.
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