Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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208. To ask the Minister for Health the current policy regarding the availability of weight loss medications, for persons on low incomes, including those with medical cards; the plans to expand access to these medications for persons who do not have diabetes but are struggling with obesity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52482/25]

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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209. To ask the Minister for Health the steps being taken to ensure equitable access to clinically approved weight loss drugs for lower-income earners; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52483/25]

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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210. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the HSE’s assessment of the inclusion of weight loss medications for non-diabetic patients on the reimbursement list for medical card holders; the timeframe for a decision on this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52484/25]

Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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211. To ask the Minister for Health whether her Department has considered the potential impact on health inequalities if weight loss drugs remain inaccessible to lower-income groups; the measures being explored to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52485/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 208 to 211, inclusive, together.

Under the Obesity Policy and Action Plan (OPAP), Ireland put in place a comprehensive, cross-Government strategy to address obesity and overweight. Since 2016 significant progress has been made in delivering on the Ten Step Programme of OPAP and to drive policy initiatives and actions, ranging from health promotion and education initiatives and obesity prevention measures through to establishing services to treat and manage obesity within the health care system.

The current OPAP runs through to the end of 2025 and a successor Obesity Policy and Action Plan will be due at the beginning of 2026. The Department is in the process of preparing the next OPAP. The Department have held a number of focus groups, workshops and interviews with various key stakeholders throughout the year.

The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement of medicines under the community drugs schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Under the 2013 Act, reimbursement is for licensed indications which have been granted market authorisation either by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).

Controls are in place within the HSE on claiming processes to ensure that only HSE approved indications are reimbursed across a range of medicines. Controls are currently in place for the Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists to restrict reimbursement support to the HSE approved indication of Diabetes. This includes Victoza® (liraglutide), Ozempic® (semaglutide) and Trulicity® (Dulaglutide). Therefore, these products are not reimbursed under the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) and are confined to those persons with full General Medical Services (GMS/Medical Card) and Long-Term Illness (Diabetes Mellitus) eligibility.

Diabetes is one of the Long-Term Illness (LTI) conditions for which eligible LTI persons can access their medicines to treat their Diabetes free of charge. Patients diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus are entitled to be registered under the LTI Scheme.

Mounjaro® (tirzepatide) and Wegovy® (semaglutide) are not reimbursable under Community Drug Schemes or any arrangement as they are undergoing formal pricing and reimbursement assessments.

Liraglutide (Saxenda®) 6 mg/ml solution for injection in pre-filled pen is the only product currently approved under Community Drug Schemes (GMS/Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS)) for weight management with a managed access system in place.

The HSE introduced a managed access protocol (MAP) for liraglutide (Saxenda®) in January 2023. The aim of the MAP is to provide patients with an initial body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 35 kg/m2, with prediabetes and high-risk for cardiovascular disease, with access to reimbursement support for liraglutide (Saxenda®) for weight management. Liraglutide (Saxenda®) is a glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue and is indicated as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight management in adult patients.