GP reveals the extent that State overpays for medicines

A leading GP has said that the State is paying as much as eight times the amount the UK is paying for some medicines

Dr Paul Armstrong is a GP in Donegal, and he said: "It is no wonder Ireland is broke, given the money the State is paying out for medicine."

The Donegal GP, who was key to establishing the NowDoc service, used the example of a major cholesterol-lowering drug.

The drug is now out of patent and available in the UK for as low as STG£1.72p per month but the same drug costs as much €16 per month in the Republic of Ireland.

Dr Armstrong said that these price discrepancies can be seen across a range of drugs.