Sharp Rise in Health Budget But Patients Still Left Waiting For Innovative Medicines – IPHA
As the Government announced the Budget today [Wednesday], the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) has said it was very disappointing that enough money could not be found in the expanded allocation for health to cover the costs of making new innovative medicines available to patients.
IPHA, which represents the research-based pharmaceutical industry, said the health system is afflicted by deep imbalances that fail to take account of medical needs that can be met by innovative treatments, either now or in the future.
The Government announced a rise of more than €1 billion in health funding for next year, bringing the total budget to €17 billion.
Oliver O’Connor, CEO of IPHA, said: “It is hard to understand why enough money could not be found to give patients access to the innovative medicines they need, even as the overall health budget rose by more than €1 billion. It shows the deep inequality at the heart of health spending in Ireland, and a distinct lack of planning for new treatments pharmaceutical innovators are offering to the market. Ireland remains among the slowest countries in western Europe for access to innovative medicines.
“In our recent ‘Manifesto for Better Health’, IPHA called for Ireland to be placed in the top seven
of the EU-28 for access to innovative medicines. This would rank Ireland in the top half of the ‘basket of 14’ used for pricing in the industry’s deal with the Government. We urged a predictable, multi-annual budgetary framework, with sustained, reasonable annual increases in funding for innovative medicines.
“This needs to be explored with the Government based on ‘horizon scanning’ for new medicines on the way, as well as projected demand for existing treatments. It is vital that the Government now enters a formal dialogue with the industry, promised for almost a year, which can set about creating an environment in which patients have access to innovation and get the treatments their clinicians determine they need.”
ENDS
