Patients suffer as drugs firms withdraw medicines from market, says pharmacist

PHARMACEUTICAL firms have been accused of causing inconvenience and expense to patients by withdrawing drugs from the market for commercial reasons.

Tim Delaney, the chief pharmacist at Tallaght Hospital, said several well-established drugs were disappearing off the market, causing problems for patients with high blood pressure, rheumatism and other ailments.

He said the withdrawal of drugs had led to a “daft” system where pharmacists had to source unlicensed and often more expensive versions of the same drugs from abroad.

“Whereas 15 years ago, purchasing unlicensed medicines was an occasional event, now every hospital purchases them routinely. My department now stocks more than 150 unlicensed medicines,” said Mr Delaney.

Some of the drugs which have been withdrawn include:

lSandoz K, a potassium supplement for people with high blood pressure.

lVoltarol Suppositories 25mg and 50mg, a potent anti-inflammatory drug for people with arthritis.

lTheopentone 500mg injection, an anaesthetic drug.

Pharmacists and doctors often are able to switch their patients to another alternative drug but in some cases this is impossible. Although it is legal to import unlicensed drugs from abroad, it creates extra bureaucracy for hospitals, uncertainty for patients and a legal grey area if anything goes wrong.

Unlicensed drugs are also unavailable to medical card patients unless they qualify for the Hardship Scheme.

Mr Delaney believes the pharmaceutical industry has “an ethical obligation” to continue to supply drugs when there is no licensed alternative.

The Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association said companies were fully entitled to withdraw products for commercial reasons when there were alternatives. “Often if a product is withdrawn, it’s because a company has a newer, better version,” said commercial affairs manager Brian Murray.

He admitted the withdrawal of medicines could cause “some differences” for patients. But he added the industry took its responsibilities very seriously and tried to ensure patients had access to medicines they required.

The Department of Health said it was aware of concerns over unlicenced medicines and was reviewing the situation with the Irish Medicines Board.