HEALTH MINISTER JENNIFER Carroll MacNeill has pointed to overspend concerns when asked if the State could fund weight-loss drugs, such as Ozempic and Mounjaro.

Last year, the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) advised that the cost of reimbursing Mounjaro, a once-weekly weight-loss injection, would “not be value for money”.

While the NCPE said that Mounjaro would work “as well or better than other ways to manage” obesity, it added that the “price of the medicine is too high compared with other ways to manage this condition”.

It estimated that the cost of adding Mounjaro to the HSE reimbursement scheme could reach €5.2bn over the course of five years.

It recommended that the HSE consider providing this medicine only “if the HSE can agree a suitable price reduction with the pharmaceutical company”.

The NCPE said a reduction of some 73% for the 5 mg dose.

Speaking this morning on Today with David McCullagh on RTÉ, Carroll MacNeill was asked about this advice from the NCPE and whether GLP-1 treatments, such as Ozempic and Mounjaro could be provided to everyone who needs it.

GLP-treatments are used to manage diabetes and obesity and require weekly or daily injections, though tablet forms are now being produced

Carroll MacNeill noted there is already a GLP-1 treatment available on the General Medical Services (GMS) Scheme, which provides access to free or low-cost healthcare services for eligible individuals.

The Health Minister said this is “working very well” but added: “Whether or not you give access to all [GLP1-treatments], or whether one is sufficient is a question for the future.”

Carroll MacNeill then remarked: “This is taxpayers’ money that we put in to support the people who live in Ireland, and that’s what we want to do.

“But the government has been criticized year after year for spending too much and on a different day, I could be criticised for overspending my budget, which is more than a quarter of what the state spends.”

Some €27.4bn was provided to healthcare in Budget 2026, a €1.5bn increase on the year before.

“We’re trying to get the best value for money,” said Carroll MacNeil.

“Not for some kind of accounting exercise – we’re trying to get the best value for money so we can do more for more people, and that’s the case with making the assessments in relation to drugs as well.”

When asked if a decision will be “coming down the track”, Carroll MacNeill remarked: “€5bn over five years is obviously a billion a year.

“We’re already spending close to €4 billion a year on drugs at the moment, and that’s also in the context of trying to get access to more and more drugs, and to try to get quicker decisions in relation to those.”

When McCullagh remarked that GLP-1 treatments have the “potential to be a gamechanger”, Carroll MacNeill agreed but added: “So do oncology drugs.

“Now, do you want me to make a choice between them or do you want me to try to get the best for everybody.”