Summary of ideas submitted in the Pharmaceutical, bio pharmaceutical and medical devices category…

• In each town and village construct helipads for emergency services, serviced with full paramedic equipment, whilst providing much needed defibrillators etc for the local community. This would provide employment in the construction phase, and local people could be trained in the use of equipment.
• Indigenous companies in the life science sector are currently restricted by space. If or when existing pharmaceuticals and biotech companies which received government funding move out of Ireland, the government should take back the premises and rent out to aforementioned indigenous companies.
• Introduce a generic drug substitute this could save the health service up to €500 million. (Repeated idea).
• Introduce a €1 prescription cost for all.
• Introduce more economic social welfare benefits e.g. the provision of second-hand equipment as opposed to money to purchase new items.
• Manufacture basic medicines.
• Market the country as one with the least red tape for biotech, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Companies that are marketed correctly in this sector are key to growth.
• More help should be given to people trying to quit smoking - establish community education centres in local pharmacies whilst also providing low cost nicotine substitutions.
• Prescription drugs cannot be returned for health and safety reasons regardless of whether they have been opened or not. A system could be put in place to ‘recycle’ such medication.
• Provide tax incentives for scientific innovation.
• Rationalise the selection and procurement of medical equipment in an attempt to standardise the equipment used.
• Recycle medical and special needs equipment such as crutches and wheelchairs. (Repeated idea).
• Reduce unnecessary repetition of medical tests.
• Senior doctors should review outpatients.
• Set up national centre to develop chemical processes which should be linked to both universities and
• multinationals e.g. NIBRT.
• The Government needs to attract foreign real R&D, as opposed to manufacturing companies with minute R&D departments.
• The Government should ensure that generic medication is prescribed in all cases and that promotional / marketing by pharmaceutical companies aimed at GPs is outlawed.
• The Government should impose a ban on all pharmaceutical mail shots to doctors for one year and donate the money to medical research/health budget.
• The Government should take a look at the clinical trials directive in order to make it easier for major companies to base themselves in Ireland.
• The state should stop buying “branded” pharmaceuticals and buy cheaper equivalents instead.
• The US Food and Drug Administration has announced plans to set up a field office in Europe. If it is not already too late, efforts should be made to have this office located in Ireland.
• When a doctor writes on a prescription there should be a pre-printed line saying “or generic equivalent”. If the doctor wants to opt out of this default, he/she simply deletes that line when writing the prescription.