FG: Drugs bill not our fault

Fine Gael has accused the previous government of allowing pharmaceutical companies to engage in “out-of-control” pricing policies in the decade to 2010.

Colm Burke, the party’s spokesman on health in the Seanad, made the claim as he pointed to figures which showed the cost of drugs in the Irish healthcare system rose by 221% over that 10-year period.

His comments came after criticism by Fianna Fáil in recent days of Health Minister James Reilly’s failure to tackle the State’s €1bn drugs bill. The State is paying 12 times more than Britain’s NHS for some non-branded medicines because of a pricing contract reached with manufacturers two years ago.