Written answer
Medical Aids and Appliances
The Minister said ICS-formoterol inhalers used in MART are already reimbursed for eligible patients through the GMS and Drugs Payment Scheme. Any expansion of eligibility or dedicated Budget 2027 funding will be considered against healthcare priorities and available resources; no specific commitment was made.
1414. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health if her Department will provide funding to enable free access to ICS-formoterol combination inhalers when prescribed as maintenance and reliever therapy (MART), given the low uptake of MART in Ireland, the over-prescription and over-reliance on short-acting reliever inhalers, and the comparatively high rates of asthma-related hospitalisations and deaths in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65587/26]
Comment on this
1415. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Health the measures that will be included in Budget 2027 to increase access to ICS-formoterol combination inhalers prescribed as maintenance and reliever therapy (MART), given the low uptake of MART in Ireland and concerns regarding the over-prescription and overuse of short-acting reliever inhalers and the associated risk of asthma exacerbations. [65611/26]
Comment on this
1417. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if funding for ICS-formoterol combination inhalers prescribed as maintenance and reliever therapy (MART) will be included as a measure in Budget 2027, in view of the low uptake of MART in Ireland, and the potential to reduce asthma exacerbations, hospitalisations and reliance on short-acting reliever inhalers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65623/26]
Comment on this
1460. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health if her Department has undertaken an assessment of the cost and potential healthcare savings associated with providing funded access to ICS-formoterol combination inhalers prescribed as maintenance and reliever therapy (MART) (details supplied); if the findings of this assessment will inform Budget 2027; [65825/26]
Comment on this
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1414, 1415, 1417 and 1460 together.
Affordable access to medicines is a priority for the Government. Supported by €158 million of funding in Budgets 2021-2025, the State delivered access to 250 new medicines. Budget 2026 allocated €217 million additional investment in medicines, including €30 million in funding for new medicines. This has, as of August 2026, delivered access to 40 new medicines.
The Year 1 cost of a new drug comes from the allocation for new medicines, but it should be noted that once these medicines are approved for reimbursement the full cost of providing them can reach multiples of this initial cost as their uptake increases.
There are a range of health supports available for patients with asthma under the GMS Scheme (Medical Cards) and the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) which reduce the cost of asthma medicines, including Maintenance and Reliever Therapy (MART) combination inhalers.
The HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. The HSE has added the following medicines combining inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) and long-acting beta-2 agonists to the reimbursement list for eligible patients in Ireland:
• Symbicort Turbohaler (formoterol/budesonide)
• Airbufo Forspiro (formoterol/budesonide)
• Duoresp Spiromax (formoterol/budesonide)
• Bufomix Easyhaler (formoterol/budesonide)
• Trixeo Aerosphere (formoterol/budesonide/glycopyrronium bromide)
• Relvar Ellipta (fluticasone/vilanterol)
• Trelegy Ellipta (fluticasone/vilanterol/umeclidinium)
Medicines on the reimbursement list for medical card holders are available free from a pharmacist on payment of the statutory prescription charge, while under the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS), no individual or family pays more than €80 a month towards the cost of approved prescribed medicines.
In addition, individuals may also be able to claim tax relief on their medicines expenditure at the standard rate of 20%.
Consideration of any future changes to the eligibility for medicines will be made in the context of current healthcare priorities and the budget available.
The State continues to invest in making asthma medicines affordable for patients with over €100m in expenditure per annum within the community, new and innovative treatments continuously being added to the reimbursement list, and a suite of measures in the new Framework Agreements on the Supply and Pricing of Medicines to strengthen affordability and availability across the coming years.