Sir, – I refer to the letters published in The Irish Times this week on the price of medicines and in particular that of Pat Murphy (September 3rd), who asks, “Why is the Minister for Health reluctant to tackle the pharmaceutical firms over the exorbitant price of drugs and instead picking on the helpless who have no means to fight back?”
On behalf of the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA), which represents the international research-based industry in Ireland and employs over 25,000 people directly and is responsible for over 50 per cent of our exports, I would like to clarify the misleading and unfair impression such sentiments express.
IPHA companies are fully cognisant of the ongoing need to control health spending, which is why over €600 million in savings for the State have been delivered in recent years. This has resulted directly in State expenditure on medicines falling in 2010 and 2011, a trend that is continuing in 2012. In addition to this, we recently provided additional savings of €20 million in a full year to ensure patients had access to innovative medicines. We are currently in negotiations with the Government on a new supply agreement which has the potential to lead to further savings for the State. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Regarding the availability of betametasone cream in Spain without a prescription (September 5th), your readers might like to know that chronic use of steroid cream is associated with several side-effects, one of them being incipient glaucoma and permanent loss of sight. GPs are happy to advise patients on the suitability of medicines and concurrent treatments. – Yours, etc,