Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I have requested the HSE to establish a Medicines Sustainability Programme to drive immediate savings under the medicines budget and to progress medium to long-term structural reform in respect of medicines expenditure. A Department of Health and Health Service Executive Medicines Sustainability Taskforce is established to support the HSE Sustainability Programme and to lead and drive the medicines workstream of the overarching savings and productivity programme.

The Taskforce will support the HSE’s examination of medicines expenditure in the health service and the identification of measures to maximise the substantial medicines budget.

The Medicines Sustainability Taskforce is co-chaired by the Department of Health and the HSE. Membership includes representatives of the Department of Health, the HSE's Medicines Management Programme, the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, the HSE's Primary Care Reimbursement Service, the HSE's Acute Hospitals Division, HSE Finance, and clinical experts.

There have now been four meetings of the Medicines Sustainability Taskforce.

The implementation of efficiencies identified by the Taskforce will commence in the coming months.