State body to investigate online trade

THE Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), the State body in charge of chemists, has launched an investigation into how the Irish Examiner was freely able to buy drugs that should normally only be available on prescription.

All of the drugs and a detailed dossier of written evidence has been handed over to the society’s registrar, Dr Ambrose McLoughlin.

Dr McLoughlin, who oversees the country’s 1,500 chemists and enforces pharmacy law, said he was deeply concerned about the ease at which the drugs were purchased.