Sir, – Minister for Health James Reilly says the “bill for generic drugs will fall” (Home News, August 9th). I guess we need to prepare ourselves for more disappointment if he’s using that type of language. We don’t need a reduction: the entire system needs to change.
How can the HSE possibly justify a situation where a generic in Spain, a country whose economy is in serious trouble, can be supplied to consumers for €2 a month over the counter and the Irish need a prescription plus €40 for the same drug? This is not just about drugs companies ripping us off: the entire drug supply chain needs sorting out – from the manufacturers right through to the pharmacists.
If Mr Reilly thinks a 50 per cent reduction in costs to the consumer is adequate he is very wrong. We should be looking at at least 90 per cent, if not more. The Minister needs to think less about protecting the incomes of a relatively small oligarchy and more about the huge number of consumers who are the victims of their greed. – Yours, etc,