An Austrian decision might provide grounds to have the herbal remedy St John's Wort exempted from prescription controls here, members heard.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Tom Moffat, said that while it was understood that in Germany certain medicinal products containing the herbal ingredient required a prescription, no country except Ireland had yet placed these products on general prescription.
"It is also suggested that in the case of Austria a full marketing authorisation has been granted in respect of medicinal products containing St John's Wort. This would suggest that full scientific evidence is available for this product, should the interests concerned be willing to pursue this route."
Dr Moffat said the Irish Medicines Board had received a product authorisation application for a medicinal product containing the herbal ingredient Hypericum perforatum, otherwise known as St John's Wort.
Medical evaluation of the application had revealed major deficiencies in the submitted information, and the concerns of the board had been conveyed to the applicant in the usual manner. The applicant had then withdrawn the application.
The board had taken the view that products containing this ingredient should be recommended for prescription control in the interests of public health.
Ms Kathleen O'Meara (Lab) said it was extraordinary that the Department of Health appeared determined to make St John's Wort available only on prescription. There were no recorded instances of it having adverse effects. It was nonsensical to make it an expensive drug which could be obtained only on prescription.
She appealed to the Minister to revoke Statutory Instrument 271/99. If he failed to do so, she and other Opposition members would bring in a motion to achieve revocation.