Call for over-counter migraine drug

Pharmacists have called for a fast-acting migraine medicine to be made available over the counter.

The Irish Pharmacy Union says the drug, Sumatriptan, is available without prescription in Britain.

Around half a million people suffer from migraine in Ireland. IPU president Rory O’Donnell said most migraine sufferers would have been diagnosed with the neurological condition by their doctor.

He said it was more than likely that regular or severe sufferers were prescribed Sumatriptan as a treatment.

“Once a migraine headache starts, the sooner this medicine is taken, the more effective it is,” said Mr O’Donnell, who was speaking ahead of the Migraine Association of Ireland’s 20th anniversary conference in Dublin tomorrow.

“As pharmacists are the most accessible part of the healthcare system, they are ideally placed to provide the assistance needed and to support the sufferer in treating their migraine attack in a timely fashion,” he said.

A migraine headache, which can last for hours or days, is often associated with nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. The Migraine Association of Ireland supports the campaign to make Sumatriptan available without prescription, under strict guidelines.

The association’s chief executive, Patrick Little, said pharmacists had a key role to play in improving services for migraine sufferers.

“Increased access to appropriate headache medications and advice would be a distinct advantage for migraine patients in Ireland,” he said.

Mr Little said the Irish Medicines Board was considering whether Sumatriptan, also used to treat a rare condition called cluster headache, should be available off-prescription.

He said pharmacists could be trained so they could identify migraine sufferers who would benefit from taking the fast-acting drug, that is 80% effective if taken early in the attack when the pain is milder.

Mr Little said the medicine is also available in a nasal spray or tablet. The spray is recommended for people with nausea.

He said some sufferers were travelling to purchase the medicine in the North, where it has been available over the counter for a number of years.

* www.migraine.ie.