Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Budget. Drug spending and savings
Summary
Flaherty asked about the budget share spent on drugs and argued that drug costs offered scope for savings. The Minister said negotiations with the chemical-industry federation were under way and that generic prescribing was outside the question.
Can the Minister tell us what percentage of the total health budget is spent on drugs? Would he not agree that he has failed to reduce expenditure in the general medical area? This is an area which could most easily and painlessly have produced substantial savings.
