Vital medicines ‘blocked by profitable drug companies’

DRUG manufacturers cherry picking lucrative markets are depriving Irish customers of essential medicines, the Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU) has warned.

Yesterday, the IPU warned that three widely prescribed medicines - Thyroxine, Trimethoprim and low dose Aspirin - were not available in the country because their international manufacturers have either directed the medicines elsewhere or discontinued production.

The IPU has called on the Department of Health to seek urgent talks with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) to secure immediate supplies of these drugs and to prevent a recurrence of shortages. All three drugs are classified by the World Health Organisation as essential medicines.