Warning over growing risk of medicine shortages

Customers could see an increased risk of medicines shortages as energy and transport costs rise

Warnings about medicines shortages issued by pharmacists and GPs should be addressed by Government, a body whose members supply drugs to the HSE has said.

The group, including Clonmel Healthcare, has said customers could see an increased risk of medicines shortages as energy and transport costs rise.

The Irish Examiner previously reported that some common brands of antibiotic are in short supply in pharmacies and some other medications. GPs have moved to remind parents that many common illnesses including RSV are not treated with antibiotics.

Medicines For Ireland (MFI) chair Padraic O’Brien said: “In Ireland and throughout Europe, soaring energy costs, inflation and supply chain disturbances have contributed to thousands of generic medicines disappearing from the European and Irish market.” 

He added: "Market conditions will become increasingly unviable for companies supplying generic medicines to Irish hospitals and pharmacies."

This comes as cases of Covid-19 rise by 4% across Europe, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has warned, although deaths continue to decrease. 

“Compared with the previous week, increasing trends in cases, increasing trends in hospital admissions, and stable trends in deaths are forecast for the EU/EEA overall by the end of week 50,” they said, referring to this week.

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Cases linked to the variant BQ.1 continue to increase, now standing at 42.5% overall. There is no evidence of BQ.1 being associated with more severe infections than the already prevalent BA.4 and BA.5, the ECDC said.

The latest Irish hospital figures show 10 Covid patients in intensive care units (ICU) among 421 people being treated for Covid in hospitals. Overall hospital admissions had been going down, but have been rising again since the third week of November.

Doctors have pointed to the impact of vaccination in reducing levels of serious illness and death.

Meanwhile, up to 6% of adults in Ireland are living with self-reported symptoms of Covid-19 for more than three months, according to research carried out by Ireland Thinks.

Most of those affected (84%) said their ability to conduct daily activities had been reduced. Common symptoms included sleep problems (44%) and memory problems (43%). 

Independent TD for Roscommon-Galway Denis Naughten, who commissioned the research, said the findings highlighted the need to "urgently address the care requirements of those who are suffering with this illness".