Reilly announces 30 per cent reduction in cost of anti-cholesterol drug

The cost of the anti-cholesterol drug atorvastatin to the State will be set at 70 per cent of its present level to save taxpayers' money, Minister for Health Dr James Reilly said.

Atovrastatin, best known by its trade name Lipitor, is one of the most commonly used medicines in Ireland but is four times more expensive here than in the North.

The drug was manufactured by Pfizer until two years ago when it went out of patent. It was, for a time, the world's best-selling prescription medicine.

Speaking at the opening of the International Pharmaceutical Federation congress in Dublin, Dr Reilly announced that the HSE's reference price for atorvastatin – the maximum amount it will pay for any version of the drug – will be 70 per cent of the present price.

Generics

Pharmaceutical companies which make generics of the drug will be invited to tender at that price.

The Minister said the aim was to determine the interchangeability of the top 20 most expensive medicines by mid-2014 so that reference prices could be set for them too. This involves first establishing whether the drugs can be substituted for generics. He said paying over the odds for any medicine is “not acceptable” and the Irish State had taken measures to ensure the costs of medicine were reducing.

The price of State-funded medicines has fallen by 30 per cent in the last four years.

He also told delegates that the provision of expensive drugs for a small number of patients can often be at the expense of cheaper drugs for a larger number of patients.

Dr Reilly added there needed to be a “relentless emphasis on using medicines efficiently and getting value for money”.