Almost 250 medicines out of stock, research shows

Michael Bolton

New figures show that 247 medicines are current out of stock in Ireland.

Of those which are currently unavailable, 13 are on the World Health Organisation's "critical medicines" list.

Latest figures from the Medicine Shortage Index show the number is up 19 since the end of last month.

There are now shortages in common medical devices used for nasal sprays, inhalers and eye drops.

Sandra Gannon, chief executive of Azure Pharmaceuticals, which compiles the index, says a new trend is emerging.

"Medicines that use plastics in their delivery, so products like nasal sprays, inhalers and eye drops are now on the medicines index for the first time in numbers.

"And obviously coming into hayfever season some of these medicines are critical for patients."

Many antibiotics like Amoxicillin and Penicillin, and commonly used over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, are still difficult for patients to source.

Other medicines still in short supply across multiple suppliers in the past week include those that treat epilepsy and high blood pressure.

Ms Gannon has said the Irish government needs to look at the prices it's willing to pay in order to combat this shortage of vital medicene.

"I think we need some meaningful dialogue. We need to look at this in the short term, and we need to look at this in the long term.

"This problem is not going to just go away. It's not just shortages, we are talking about medicines being withdrawn from markets."