There's been an increase of over a third in medicine shortages in this country since May last year.
The latest Medicine Shortages Index shows the number of medicines out-of-stock has shot up to 241.There are shortages in treatments of allergic eye conditions including hay fever with 11 eye drops unavailable, and less supply of antibiotics.Irish Pharmacy Union spokesperson, Kathy Maher wants pharmacists to be allowed use other medicines.
'We have called on the Minister to look at something called the "serious shortage protocol" which would allow pharmacists use their clinical skills to switch, when one medicine is in short supply, that we could substitute another for that.
Therefore patient treatment is not interrupted , and that's what we have to look at, the health and well-being of the Irish public.'
