The Pharmaceutical Market: Ireland

Opportunities and Challenges

Publication Date	September 2009
Publisher	Espicom
Product Type	Report
Pages	78
ISBN Number	not applicable
Product Code	ESP00235

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Summary

With a population of around 4.3 million, the Republic of Ireland represents a small but advanced market for pharmaceuticals. The country has experienced rapid economic growth over the past 20 years, and has invested in large scale renovation and redevelopment of its healthcare infrastructure. This continues today, with an especial emphasis on improving long-term and elderly care facilities, and specific areas such as cancer care.

That said, the country currently faces a severe economic downturn, with GDP expected to fall in real terms by over 6% in 2009 and postive growth not projected until 2012. The government faces an extremely tight financial operating environment in the next few years. It has attempted to ringfence health spending for the foreseeable future, with a small rise in spending planned for 2009. Further deterioriation in public finances may lead to greater pressure on capital budgets in particular.

Most pharmaceutical expenditure is in the public sector, under the Community Drugs Schemes. Most people are covered under one or other of these, subject to a small co-payment. Reimbursement for the over 70s was more or less automatic between 2001 and 2009, but a means test has now been introduced, in attempt to slow consumption.

Use of generics is very low. Unbranded generics are hardly ever used, and there are no particular incentives for boosting generic use. The market retains a large number of patent-expired brand drugs, which compete with branded generics. The prices of these are subject to ongoing cuts, making the market even more unattractive for generic suppliers. There are a handful of small generic companies, but these now tend to be foreign-owned, such as Athlone Laboratories or Pinewood.

Ireland is one of the global pharmaceutical industry’s leading manufacturing bases. Most large companies have production facilities there. Drugs are either produced in finished form for export, or exported on to other facilities for finishing. A few companies have reduced or stopped their Irish operations in recent years, but this is currently more than balanced by new investment, particularly in the biologic field.

While the multinational presence is very strong, Ireland has very few domestic producers. The only major Irish company is Elan, but this does much of its work in the USA. Ireland has developed a highly skilled support industry, however, in the wake of the multinationals.

Content

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction
Pharmaceutical Market Analysis
Size
Market Structure
    GMS expenditure
    Generics Sector
Projections & Outlook
Imports
Domestic Manufacturing
    Domestic Production
    Trade Association(s)
    Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA)
    Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of Ireland (APMI)

    Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
    Actavis
    Abbott Laboratories
    Allergan
    Astellas
    Bristol-Myers Squibb
    Eli Lilly
    Johnson & Johnson
    Leo Pharma
    Merck Sharp & Dohme
    Novartis
    Pfizer
    Pinewood Healthcare
    Recordati
    Roche
    Servier
    Schering Plough
    Stada Arzneimittel
    Takeda
    Wyeth
Exports
Research & Development
Pharmaceutical Regulatory Analysis
Pharmaceutical Regulation
    Advertising
Pricing & Reimbursement
    Price cuts for patent-expired brands
    Wholesale price margins
    Pharmacy mark-ups
Intellectual Property
    Supplementary Protection Certificates
    Data exclusivity
Pharmaceutical Distribution
Wholesaling
    Cahill May Roberts (Celesio)
    United Drug Wholesale
    Uniphar Group
Retailing
    Unicare Pharmacies (Celesio)
Healthcare Analysis
Demographics
    Population
    Birth Rate
    Death Rate
    Infant Mortality
    Life Expectancy at Birth
    Public Health
    Causes of Death
    Incidence of Communicable Diseases
    Incidence of Cancer
    HIV/AIDS
Healthcare System
Health Expenditure
    Health Estimates for 2009
    Supplementary budget doubles health contributions, April 2009
    Projected health expenditure
Healthcare Infrastructure
    Private sector
    National Paediatric Hospital
Healthcare Personnel

DIRECTORY
Government Organisations
Trade Associations
Methodology & Sources

List of Tables
    Summary of Key Data Projections, 2009-14
    Summary of the Irish Pharmaceutical Market, 2009
    GMS Expenditure by Leading Therapy Areas, 2006
    Market Projections, 2009-14
    SWOT Analysis of the Irish Pharmaceutical Market, 2008
    Espicom Analysis of Ireland’s Health Sector
    Imports of Pharmaceuticals by Category, 2003-2007 (US$000s)
    Import Trends
    Leading Suppliers of Raw Materials, 2007 (US$000s)
    Leading Suppliers of Medicaments, 2007 (US$000s)
    IPHA Members, 2008
    Exports of Pharmaceuticals, 2003-2007 (US$000s)
    Export Trends
    Leading Destinations, 2007 (US$000s)
    Authorities
    IMB Activity, 2004-07
    Community Pharmacies, 2006-08
    Summary of Demographic Data
    Projected Population, 2009-14
    Healthcare Expenditure, 2008
    HSE Income and Expenditure, 2006-07 (euros 000s)
    Total HSE Funding, 2006 -2009
    Projected Health Expenditure, 2009-14
    Hospitals & Beds
    Hospital Bed Projections, 2009-14
    Planned/Underway Infrastructure Projects, 2009-2013 (000 euros)
    Projected Number of Physicians, 2009-14