Price deals on generic drugs save State €1.5bn since 2006

Price deals with the pharmaceutical industry have saved the State more than €1.5bn since 2006, the Oireachtas Joint committee on Health and Children has been told.

Feargal Goodman, assistant secretary of the primary care division in the Department of Health, told the committee that generic drugs now account for about 68% of the total off-patent market.

As part of Ireland’s troika commitments, a 70% target for generic penetration was to be achieved by next year.