State’s drugs bill set to increase by €1.3bn in decade

A POSSIBLE prescription charge would recoup just a fraction of an estimated €1.3 billion hike in the state’s drugs bill over the next decade due to dramatic increases in medication reliance.

Research predicts that up to 110 million items will be prescribed per year under the three community drugs schemes by 2021 – compared to 60m items expected to be dispensed next year.

Health Minister Mary Harney has proposed charging medical card holders €0.50 for every item dispensed to combat over-prescribing. If introduced, it would generate €30m next year and up to €55m in 2021.

But research on the trends and growth in the Irish Community Drugs Scheme, compiled for the Government’s ESRI think-tank, revealed the prescription drugs bill is set to soar because of an ageing population, greater reliance on drugs and ingredient costs.

Yesterday, lead researcher Dr Kathleen Bennett, senior lecturer in bio-statistics at Trinity College, said projected trends suggest the amount of prescription items the Government is paying for could double by 2021.

The additional costs are being linked to higher ingredient prices, the use of more drugs which require complementary medication and the increase in the population over the age of 70.

The research suggests that by 2021 over-70s could require more than 45 million items a year through the medical card scheme.

It also revealed the cost of each item prescribed has already more than doubled in 10 years – from €11.20 in 1997 to €23.27 in 2007.

During the same period the average amount of items prescribed to each eligible patient trebled, to more than 30 per year.

The Trinity College pharmaceutical centre is also preparing research on the appropriateness of medication being prescribed to elderly people, and the length of time they remain on them.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen backed the proposal to introduce the prescription charge, saying the Government had to find ways of dealing with drug costs.

But pharmacists joined doctors and urged the Government to tackle the escalating drugs bill through a combination of measures, including treatment reviews and use of cheaper generic medicines.

Both the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) and the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) expressed reservations.

The IMO described the proposal as “a fairly blunt instrument” and pointed to its own plan, which it believes could shave €300m off the bill.

It includes regularly reviewing patients to ensure they do not stay on expensive drugs for longer than necessary; establishing a system under which the state would only pay for drugs if they were going to be of clear benefit to a patient; tackling the relatively high cost of generic drugs in Ireland; and ensuring more generic rather than costly branded drugs are prescribed.