Some patients facing medical supply shortages

Some patients are having to go without vital medicines because of supply shortages, pharmacists have claimed.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) said the shortages were widespread and posed a risk to the health of patients.

Of particular concern are shortages of Cymbalta, to treat depression; Lyrica, for nerve pain relief; and Chloromycetin, an eye ointment.

IPU president Rory O’Donnell said Cymbalta was often prescribed by consultants in hospital and in psychiatric units.

“Very often patients are doing without their Cymbalta and there is obvious health risks associated with that. It is very much a issue of supply and demand in the Irish market.”

He said the problem was not new, but a recent survey of IPU members has found it had got worse, not better.

Most pharmacists said they had noticed medicine shortages over the last 12 months and 44% believed their patients’ health has been adversely affected.

Pharmacy staff were spending eight hours a month resolving medicine shortages.

The IPU has also warned that the introduction of reference pricing would only exacerbate the problem if the opening price was too low.

Mr O’Donnell said the IPU had called for a public service obligation that manufacturers would sign up to so that a continuity of supply was assured.

The Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) said a supply agreement between the association and the State was renewed last October and it defined the mechanisms for the supply of medicines to patients.

It said the agreement was designed to ensure, as far as possible, continuity of supply, but from time to time disruptions in supply could occur.

“These arise as a result of manufacturing processes, but, in more recent times, shortages have emerged due to the trading of products across European markets which occurs when the price in one country has been pushed well below that in other countries.”

According to the IPHA its member companies work tirelessly to secure the availability of medicines for Irish patients but that cross border trading issues were beyond their control.