The HSE paid over €1.4million on Viagra-style pills last year, the Irish Sunday Mirror can reveal.
Despite banning the two main brands of anti-impotence drugs on the medical card, cheaper alternatives still landed the taxpayer with a stiff bill in 2018.
Now a TD claims if the State can cough up for men’s needs, it should take seriously the need to supply free contraception to women.
Sinn Fein health spokesperson Louise O’Reilly said: “If it’s a case that money can be found for one aspect of men’s sexual health and can’t be found for another aspect of women’s sexual health that’s just wrong.”
Health bosses tried to tackle the spend on erectile dysfunction tablets two years ago by slashing the more expensive brands Cialis and Nevitra from the scheme.
But a HSE spokeswoman confirmed patients can still get non-branded versions of these drugs on the medical card.
She said: “The drug names eligible for reimbursement in 2018 were Sildenafil, Tadalafil and Vardenafil.”
The cost went from €2,107,521 in 2017 to €1,414,100 last year. Between 2011 and 2016 the HSE spent €39.4million on erectile dysfunction drugs.
A notice circulated by the HSE to GPs nationwide in March 2017 said reimbursement for medication to treat erectile dysfunction would cease “with the exception of low-cost referenced price Sildenafil”.
Ms O’Reilly insists if erectile dysfunction drugs are a priority for the State contraception should be too.
She added: “On the face of it that seems like a very high figure, a very large amount of money to be spending.
“But it strikes me that if doctors are prescribing it, there has to be some class of a medical need for it.
“Rather than querying the €1.4million, which to me does seem high, if we can find money for that why can you not find money for long-acting, reversal contraceptives to be made available to women?
“If it’s a case they recognise that as a priority, you’ve got to look at the flip-side and ask what areas are being prioritised for women.
