Ongoing shortages of vital prescription medicines

Sir, – I am writing today as I am at my wit’s end trying to source vital prescription medicines. I am a full-time carer to my 19-year-old son who requires medicines. He requires 24-hour nursing care and has complex medical needs so I honestly don’t have the time to ring around many pharmacies and write to the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) each time there is a shortage.

Almost every month there is one medication which is in short supply, which means pharmacists have to source them elsewhere or give you an alternative. Sometimes there is no alternative or they can’t source it anywhere. Or sometimes, as is the case this week for us, the alternative is unlicensed and only available in the UK and there is an import ban on it.

The people who rely on these medicines like my son cannot live safely without them.

Pharmacists and their colleagues are also run ragged as this is happening all too often, and there is only so much they can do and only so many hours in the day. This is really stressful and we really need to have a better system. If I had not sourced one particular medicine this week, I would have had to bring my son to hospital to receive it there. It’s not acceptable and we can’t go on like this. – Yours, etc,