Medicines for Ireland (MFI) welcome opportunity to participate in negotiations to agree a new Framework Agreement on the Supply of Medicines to the Health Services
Over recent decades, the parameters of pricing mechanisms and supply arrangements for medicines in Ireland have been determined by the terms of successive agreements between the State and the respective representative bodies of the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland. The most recent agreement was the Framework Agreement on the Supply of Medicines to the Health Services 2016-2020 (FASPM). It has been confirmed that Medicines for Ireland, as the representatives of the suppliers of the majority of medicines to the HSE and to patients directly in Ireland, will be participating in the negotiations to agree a new Framework Agreement on the Supply of Medicines to the Health Services.
Detailed proposals from Medicines for Ireland have been submitted, which if implemented can help increase patient access to medicines in a sustainable way and improve affordability for the HSE.
Expenditure on medicines represents one of the largest areas of expenditure across the health service and will continue to grow in the years ahead and as an organisation Medicines for Ireland (MFI) share the objective of Government and the HSE in helping to secure affordable access to existing and new medicines in a timely manner.
The current Framework Agreement on the Supply of Medicines to the Health Services was due to end in July 2020, however, due to COVID-19 it was necessary to implement an extension until 31 July 2021 to facilitate preparatory work on the successor agreement within the context of the ongoing COVID-19 challenges.
The HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions, in accordance with The Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The Act specifies the criteria for decisions on the reimbursement of medicines, including provision for the existence of any framework agreements in place.