The Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) is the body, which represents the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland. The DoHC/ IPHA agreement for the supply of medicines governs the supply terms, conditions and prices of medicines supplied to the health services. The agreement system has been in place since the early 1980s. The current agreement commenced on 1st September 2006 and covers all medicines prescribable and reimbursable in the Community Drugs Schemes and all medicines supplied to hospitals and health boards. Ireland links its drug price by formula to those of nine other member states. The price to the wholesaler of any medication will not exceed the average wholesale prices in Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Finland, Austria and the UK. A pharmaceutical company wishing to launch a new prescription product must submit an application to the DoHC with the wholesale prices in each of the reference states where it is available. If a product is not available in any of the reference countries, the Irish wholesale price is agreed between DoHC and the manufacturer or importer.