Non generic drugs

I refer to your article ‘Troika chief: Pharmaceutical drug costs cannot be justified,’ of Nov 1, in which it was stated that “the costs of pharmaceutical drugs in Ireland were three times more than your nearest neighbour”.

This statement is misleading, as it is only the prices of generic drugs in Ireland that are three times more expensive than in the UK. The prices of original, branded pharmaceutical drugs (both on- and off-patent) supplied by members of the IPHA are at, or below, the European average. The introduction of reference pricing should address this problem, which, in turn, will lead to further significant savings for patients and taxpayers.

Anne Nolan