More medicines without prescription would cut health bill, say pharmacists

Pharmacists claimed today that making more medicines available without prescription will save the Government money and improve health outcomes for patients.

In its pre-Budget submission, the Irish Pharmacists Union said that a bigger range of drugs should be dispensed by pharmacists.

A study in the UK has shown that GP-treated ailments that could have been self-treated cost the National Health Service there £2bn (€2.5bn) every year.

The IPU says this shows the type of savings that could be generated in Ireland if we moved more towards a pharmacy-based system, rather than an over-reliance on a GP-based system.

"More should be done to empower patients to take care of their own health in a safe, convenient and cost-effective manner," said IPU president Rory O'Donnell.

"This would entail making a much greater range of medicines available without prescription from pharmacists – particularly those medicines with long-established safety profiles, many of which are available without prescription in other jurisdictions."