260. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health his views on whether a hospital the size of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda should be relying on an external supplier (details supplied) for chemotherapy medication given recent production issues at that provider; his further views on whether Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda should have its own aseptic compounding facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41970/24]

Aseptic Compounding Units (ACUs) are dedicated laboratory facilities which produce tailored treatments for patients which have a short shelf life. Treatments produced in ACUs include Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (e.g chemotherapy, immunotherapy).

The majority of public hospitals providing SACT services in Ireland have access to an ACU. Currently, a number of public hospitals outsource a portion of their SACT supply to third-party providers and to other hospitals. This is particularly the case for standard doses of treatments with long shelf lives.

Ensuring patients receive timely and quality treatment for their cancer remains a priority for the HSE and my Department. My Department works closely with the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) to improve compounding capacity across all chemotherapy-providing hospitals, to improve resilience in treatment provision for the benefit of cancer patients.