NEGOTIATIONS WITH pharmaceutical companies to cut the price of generic drugs will begin in two weeks, the Department of Health has said.
The Health Service Executive pays about 12 times more than the NHS in Britain does for generic drugs, it was reported yesterday.
In a deal sanctioned by the Department of Health two years ago, generic drug manufacturers can charge the State up to 98 per cent of the price of the original branded medicine, according to a report in the Sunday Business Post.
A spokesman said Minister for Health James Reilly intended to end the situation where Irish people had to pay far more for generic medicine than their neighbours.
Linked to this issue is the Reference Pricing legislation in generic medicines which is before the Seanad.
This would allow the Irish Medicines Board to decide on the best-value appropriate medication for treatments.
The State will then declare which drug it will buy and the price that it will pay, and pharmacists will be obliged to dispense it.
At present, pharmacists are not legally allowed to provide medication other than the brand prescribed.
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