Medicines shortages
Deputy Higgins highlighted severe shortages across hundreds of medicines and the anxiety this is causing patients and pharmacists. The Tánaiste said the Government, HPRA and others were working to address supply-chain problems, including specific insulin shortages.
Right now across Ireland, there are 307 medicines in short supply, including tablets people rely on for their blood pressure, cholesterol or mental health and medicines people require to regulate their hormones, their breathing or their insulin. People with medical conditions are facing a record shortage of drugs. That is causing huge anxiety for them, their families and their pharmacists. About 60% of the population will be impacted in some way. This matter has been raised with me by people having trouble accessing medicine, people who are concerned they will not be able to fill prescriptions for their children and by my own local pharmacist. What is the Government doing to bring medicine back into good supply?
Comment on this
There has been a range of issues with some medicines, particularly insulin. The Department of Health has been advised for example, of a shortage of the Fiasp 100 units/ml solution for injection in vial. That is related to diabetes and so on.
In terms of the broader picture, there are global supply chain issues. We have a fairly sophisticated system in Ireland. There have been some issues post Brexit in respect of medicine supplies. The Deputy can rest assured that the Government, the Health Products Regulatory Authority, HPRA, and others are doing everything they possibly can in respect of shortages. The HPRA maintains a list of current and resolved shortages on its website with the details, including the information people require. The medicine shortages framework operated by the HPRA on behalf of the Department of Health aims to prevent, where possible, and mitigate the impact of medicine shortages. The framework allows for a multi-stakeholder response to shortages co-ordinated by the HPRA in close co-operation with the Department, the HSE, the industry and patient representatives. Based on an analysis of data reported by the pharmaceutical industry over several years, the reasons for shortages vary but are primarily due to manufacturing issues. Shortages of medicines are also not unique to Ireland. There is no evidence that shortages disproportionately impact patients in Ireland compared to other countries. We will keep the matter under review.