The price of generic drugs in Ireland same as branded versions
an ESRI REPORT TELLS US
Generic drug prices in Ireland are similar to the branded equivalent, according to a report from the Economic and Social Research Institute.
As a result, the increased use of generic medicines has not led to substantial savings to the State or cash-paying patients.
This is despite the fact that the market share of generics for the leading drugs in the medical card scheme has doubled in recent years to 50%.
The ESRI report examined drug prices, use of generics and prescribing practices.
It looked at prices paid by the HSE, not retail prices.
The report revealed that relative to other EU member states, in-patent drug prices are higher in Ireland and off-patent drugs are lower.
Where doctors in Ireland have a choice between different medicines within the same therapeutic group, such as cholesterol-lowering drugs or medicines to counter hypertension, prescribers tend to select the most expensive pharmaceutical product.
In contrast, doctors in the UK tend to prescribe the least expensive product.
ESRI research professor Paul Gorecki has called for more transparency and the release of data on a monthly basis on the volume and cost of various drugs prescribed.
Extensive discounting of generics to pharmacies is also reported to be in operation.
Under this system, prices are negotiated between the State and manufactures but kept confidential.
It said the growing use of this mechanism should prompt a wider discussion about transparency and how the benefits of new drugs should be evaluated.
Ireland promised to conduct this study of drug prices and prescribing as part of a condition of the EU-IMF programme for financial support.
The Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, which represents the manufacturers of branded medicines, has welcomed the findings.
It said this confirms a study carried out recently on behalf of IPHA.
The IPHA said it has already demonstrated that the new Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act has the potential to make savings in the region of €50 to €70 million a year, which could be used to reinvest in ensuring patients have access to innovative medicines.
The Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Ireland, which represents the generic medicines industry, said that generic pricing is determined by the Department of Health and historically has been a percentage of the off-patent original.
Its chairperson Fergal Murphy said there has never been a mandated generic prescribing or dispensing mechanism in Ireland and this led to historically very low generic penetration levels.
He said the introduction of reference pricing later this year will further reduce the prices of generics.
Ireland’s reputation damaged by Anglo tapes. Says An Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore
the CENTRAL BANK IS STUDYING TRANSCRIPTS OF CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN SENIOR EXECUTIVES
Ireland’s international reputation has been damaged by the arrogance shown by senior Anglo Irish Bank executives in leaked internal recordings, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has said.
Mr Gilmore yesterday suggested that if the disclosures had been made at a critical stage of the Government’s negotiations with the ECB on the promissory note, the outcome may have been very seriously compromised.
“I think coverage of this kind does do damage to our international reputation, I am very glad that we didn’t have this coverage, for example, in the week or two leading into the conclusion of our negotiations with European authorities on the promissory note.”
The Central Bank yesterday confirmed it is carefully studying the transcripts of the recorded telephone conversations. In a statement it said: “This is something that is viewed very seriously. The Central Bank will be liaising with the gardaí in this regard and is also examining whether or not any breaches of regulatory requirements may have occurred arising from the information contained in the transcripts”.
The bank was not forthcoming on whether it was aware of the content of the recordings before they were disclosed.
Mr Gilmore said he was outraged by what he had heard: “What we have heard and read of those tapes demonstrates an incredible degree of arrogance and presumption within that bank, and really an attitude towards the public and the taxpayer that I find utterly shocking and absolutely unacceptable,” he said.
Speaking at a European Union presidency event in Dublin, Mr Gilmore said that nonetheless the effect of the recordings should not be exaggerated.
“The way I think the tapes show people in this country and internationally what we have had to deal with, and I think we have got a lot of credit as a country for dealing with the crisis and taking action to deal with it,” he said.
He defended the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry over other forms of inquiry, saying they had worked well before.
“What nobody wants is a prolonged tribunal of inquiry . . . nobody wants 14 years of looking into this,” he said.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny used similar sentiments in the Dáil where he accepted an Oireachtas inquiry would not have the power to make adverse findings against third parties, but could still establish exactly what had happened.
Separately, the chairman of Fine Gael, Charlie Flanagan, said he favoured an adequately resourced criminal investigation over an Oireachtas banking inquiry.
“Any Oireachtas inquiry must run parallel and must not interfere with or frustrate the criminal investigation, which is the most important,” Mr Flanagan said.
The type of cutlery you use can influence your taste of food
Our perception of how food tastes is influenced by cutlery, research suggests.
Size, weight, shape and colour all have an effect on flavour, says a University of Oxford team.
Cheese tastes saltier when eaten from a knife rather than a fork; while white spoons make yoghurt taste better, experiments show.
The study in the journal Flavour suggests the brain makes judgment’s on food even before it goes in the mouth.
More than 100 students took part in three experiments looking at the influence of weight, colour and shape of cutlery on taste.
The researchers found that when the weight of the cutlery conformed to expectations, this had an impact on how the food tastes.
For example, food tasted sweeter on the small spoons that are traditionally used to serve desserts.
Even before we put food into our mouths our brains have made a judgment about it, which affects our overall experience”
Charles Spence and Vanessa HarrarUniversity of Oxford
Colour contrast was also an important factor – white yoghurt eaten from a white spoon was rated sweeter than white yoghurt tasted on a black spoon.
Similarly, when testers were offered cheese on a knife, spoon, fork or toothpick, they found that the cheese from a knife tasted saltiest.
“How we experience food is a multisensory experience involving taste, feel of the food in our mouths, aroma, and the feasting of our eyes,” said Prof Charles Spence and Dr Vanessa Harrar.
“Even before we put food into our mouths our brains have made a judgment about it, which affects our overall experience.”
Past research has shown that crockery can alter our perception of food and drink.
For example, people generally eat less when food is served on smaller plates.
The new research into how the brain influences food perceptions could help dieters or improve gastronomic experiences at restaurants, said Prof Spence.
He told BBC News: “There’s a lot more to food than what’s on the plate. Many things we thought didn’t matter do. We’re going to see a lot more of neuroscience design around mealtimes.”
Good news: Mobile roaming charges in the EU to decrease from next Monday
Mobile roaming charges are set to go down for holidaymakers travelling in the EU.
From Monday – EU roaming regulations will lower the price caps for data downloads by more than a third (36%).
It will be cheaper to use maps, watch videos, check emails and update social networks while travelling.
Roaming downloads will now cost 0.45c per megabyte, phone calls will cost 0.24c a minute and sending a text message will cost 0.08c.
Nine animal park gorillas delivered back to the wild
Logistics company DHL has delivered a family of nine Silverback gorillas from Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent to the Batéké Plateau National Park, Gabon in a conservation initiative in partnership with The Aspinall Foundation.
The gorillas were transported 9,000 km, departing from the UK to Brussels, and flown in a specially equipped Boeing 767 to Lagos, Nigeria, and then onto Franceville, Gabon.
For the final leg of the journey they were flown in a helicopter to the national park in collaboration with the Gabonese authorities.
In addition to the animals, which have a combined weight of 620kg, DHL delivered 1,200 kg of food and veterinarian equipment.
Western lowland gorillas are classed as a critically endangered species, and this is the first attempt ever at returning an entire family to its natural habitat.
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