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Pfizer warned government that low drug budget will delay access to new medicines

The pharma giant, which employs around 4,000 people here, said Ireland was 24th out of 35 countries for the availability of new medicines

Pfizer’s Ireland head wrote to the government over pharmaceutical funding and energy in October

Pfizer has warned the government that the drug budget for 2023 is too low and could lead to delays in accessing new medicines for patients in Ireland.

Correspondence seen by the Business Post shows that Deb Mangone, Pfizer’s Ireland country manager, wrote to then-Taoiseach Micheál Martin the week after Budget 2023 was announced.

The government allocated around €18 million to new medicines in the budget. At the time, the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association said its ...