A fresh review by Prof. Michael Barry, Clinical Director at the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics, shines a harsh light on Ireland’s pharma-pay ecosystem:
- €14.4 million in drug‑company payments during 2023
- A total of 4,500 separate transactions—3,500 to healthcare professionals, and just over 1,000 to hospitals, universities, societies, and more
- These payments are not hidden—made public since 2016 on TransferOfValue.ie by around 50 companies, including non-IPHA members
On RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Prof. Barry didn’t mince words:
“What I’d like to see happen is full transparency in this area. … develop some ground rules around the whole area.”
“Where is that money going? … why resort to taking money from the pharmaceutical industry when the HSE is already making it available.”
Source: Irish Times
He also urged the HSE to publicly distance itself from these pharma-funded perks, warning they could subtly and dangerous influence prescribing.
The Influence Looms Large
Evidence flickers across prescribing data:
- Higher use of branded drugs over generics
- Off‑label prescribing, beyond licensed indications
- What Prof. Barry calls a “negative impact on patient safety” (breakingnews.ie)
Despite many professionals insisting they’re immune to influence, they readily admit that others aren’t—a psychological blind spot he observes .
Education and Ethics: No Brownie Points
Prof. Barry declares the industry has no place in continuing medical education:
“The pharmaceutical industry’s job is to sell medicines, not educate doctors.” (thejournal.ie)
He points to international literature, including the esteemed New England Journal of Medicine, warning of the subtle erosion of prescribing objectivity (breakingnews.ie).
Hospitals in the Spotlight
Prof. Barry questions the need for pharmaceutical funding of hospital initiatives when the HSE already budgets for them:
Prof. Barry declares the industry has no place in continuing medical education:
“The pharmaceutical industry’s job is to sell medicines, not educate doctors.” (thejournal.ie)
