An Irish Times opinion piece in early April 2026, written in response to the NCPE’s rejection of omaveloxolone (Skyclarys®) for Friedreich’s ataxia in Ireland, articulated the tension in the reimbursement system: that cost-effectiveness judgements exist to protect population health, not simply to contain spending. The NCPE concluded there was a zero per cent chance of the drug being cost-effective at the price being sought — over €280,000 per patient per year with uncertain clinical benefit.2
Blueteq comment: Ireland’s new FASPM commits the HSE to faster decisions and greater transparency. But the absence of a single national platform governing eligibility and prescribing at the point of care means that reimbursement decisions do not automatically translate into consistent patient access. Blueteq’s digital forms — covering the same medicine categories the HSE is actively reimbursing — address this gap.
Pricing and reimbursement of medicines in Ireland: New Framework Agreement 2026–2029 published. Arthur Cox LLP. March 2026. https://www.arthurcox.com/knowledge/pricing-and-reimbursement-of-medicines-in-ireland/
