The introduction of weekly weight loss jabs in Ireland has raised concerns due to their high costs of at least €200 monthly, which are not covered by the HSE. Michael Barry from the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics indicates that including these jabs for all eligible people could escalate the national drug budget from €4 billion to €10 billion. This situation necessitates difficult decisions on eligibility, potentially restricting access to individuals with a BMI of 40 or above. The jabs also have possible cardiovascular benefits, adding further complexity to their assessment.
Making them available to this number of people is unaffordable and not going to happen, as the drugs' costs would balloon the national budget.
The decision making on jab eligibility will need to be made by the end of this year or early next year.
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