Government set to gain access to new innovative drugs
A Fine Gael TD has said that the Government has pledged to get access to new and innovative drugs.
Martin Heydon said that the move will ensure that they are made available to people who need them.
He has been given assurances from the Health Minister Simon Harris that the medicines will be available.
Deputy Heydon outlined some of the steps the Government has taken to drive down the cost of new drugs.
"One has been to strike a deal with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association which has saved hundreds of millions of euro, meaning that the €2bn we spend each year... on drugs and medicine now goes much further and gets us access to much more of the medicine that is needed," he said.
"Similarly Gov has developed its own biosimilars policy, which means that once drugs are out of patent, doctors will be able to prescribe generic medicines with similar properties."
