Varadkar: June deadline for pharma companies to lower prices
The Health Minister Leo Varadkar has given a deadline to pharmaceutical companies to lower the prices they charge the state.
In an interview with the , the Minister said drug manufacturers will have to agree to cut their prices by June, or else he will use existing legislation to force a reduction.
The state spends near €2bn annually on medicines.
But the Government has been criticised for not driving a harder bargain with pharma multi-nationals - many of whom have manufacturing bases here.
