Ireland lags European peers on speed of access to new medicines, says latest survey on wait times

Ireland lags most of western Europe in making innovative new medicines available to patients, according to a survey, commissioned by the originator biopharmaceutical industry, that measures speeds of access between countries.

The survey of 34 countries shows that Ireland ranks around mid-table in Europe, and near the bottom among western European countries, for the time it takes to give patients access to the latest treatments by agreeing reimbursement in the health services.