Pharmacists in Smoking Cessation

POLITICS
Michael Moynihan
Fianna Fáil
Weekend
Pharmacy
Services
Deputy Michael
Moynihan (Fianna Fáil,
Cork North-West) asked
the Minister for Health
if his Department has
a structure in place
to provide weekend
pharmacy cover in
rural areas where the
only pharmacy stores
were often closed from
Saturday afternoon
until Monday morning.
The Minister said
this was an operational
matter for the HSE
which, in a subsequent
reply to the Deputy,
said that “while there
is no formal rota
structure in place,
business imperatives
in the pharmacy
marketplace have
ensured that most
large towns and cities
have at least one
pharmacy open on a
Sunday. Furthermore,
GP out-of-hours centres
hold small quantities
of emergency
pharmaceuticals to
ensure that patients
can start antibiotic
treatment or pain relief
treatment immediately,
if required.”
Calls to extend
availability of CF
drug to younger
children
The National Centre for
Pharmacoeconomics
(NCPE) reported to the
HSE last October that,
following its assessment of
a pricing proposal from the
manufacturer of Ivacaftor
(Kalydeco) for the treatment
of cystic fibrosis patients
aged two years and older
weighing less than 25kg,
the manufacturer failed
to demonstrate costeffectiveness
of the drug for
the intended cohort of 18
eligible patients.
This was stated in the Dáil
recently by the Minister
for Health in reply to a
Parliamentary Question from
Deputy Jan O’Sullivan (Labour,
Limerick City), who asked
what negotiations were taking
place with the company
that produces Kalydeco “to
reimburse the drug costs for
children aged from two to five
years in view of the fact that
it is already being reimbursed
for persons aged six years
and over”. A series of related
questions on the issue were
also tabled by the Sinn Féin
Leader, Deputy Gerry Adams
(Louth).
The Minister added that
since the HSE was responsible
for the negotiations with
manufacturers, he had asked
them to respond directly to
the deputies on the status
of negotiations with the
manufacturer and on the
issue of the number of
patients currently receiving
Kalydeco, and the cost per
patient.
Wider availability
of emphysema
drug urged
The NCPE was conducting an
assessment of Respreeza as
maintenance treatment of
emphysema in adults with
documented severe alpha1-
proteinase inhibitor deficiency
and, once completed, the HSE
would consider it as part of
its decision-making process
when considering the drug for
reimbursement.
The Minister was replying to
the Fianna Fáil Spokesperson
on Disability, Deputy
Margaret Murphy O’Mahony
(Cork South-West), who
asked if the clinical trial of
Respreeza would continue
to be made available to the
21 patients involved and if it
would be made available to
40 more patients if current
assessments were favourable.
A related question on the
issue was raised by Deputy
Peter Fitzpatrick (Fine Gael,
Louth).
The Minister said that for
patients currently accessing
Respreeza on a compassionate
use basis, the company CSL
Behring would continue
to provide and administer
the drug until the end of
the year. “However, the
operation of compassionate
access schemes are at the
discretion of manufacturers.
I have previously asked
manufacturers to show
compassion to reopen or
maintain compassionate
access schemes to patients
during the assessment process
by the HSE,” he added.
Jan O’Sullivan
Labour
Gerry Adams
Sinn Féin
Margaret Murphy O’Mahony
Fianna Fáil
Peter Fitzpatrick
Fine Gael
” I have previously asked manufacturers
to show compassion to reopen or
maintain compassionate access
schemes to patients during the
assessment process by the HSE.”
Simon Harris, TD, Minister for Health
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IPUREVIEW FEBRUARY 2017