Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 May 2026
261. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Health if her Department is aware of pharmacies unable to fulfil prescriptions to patients due to external factors such as supply chain issues; if her Department records such instances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35748/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is aware of the stress that shortages of medicines can cause for patients and healthcare professionals alike, and mitigating medicine shortages and strengthening security of supply is the subject of several workstreams in my Department, the wider health service and across Europe.
To address these challenges in Ireland, a Medicines Shortages Framework, operated by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) on behalf of the Department of Health, has been established. This aims to help prevent potential shortages from occurring and to reduce the impact of shortages on patients by co-ordinating the management of potential or actual shortages across the health service as they arise. The HPRA maintains a list of current and resolved shortages on its website. The webpage is updated daily as the HPRA receives new information. Healthcare professionals, including pharmacists, can also assist by reporting possible shortages not currently included on the?HPRA shortages list.
Additionally, the Strategic Medicines Access and Availability Group (SMAAG) is a working group established by the Department of Health in November 2025 to help shape national policy on medicines shortages, access and availability. The group is examining appropriate measures that could improve the availability of medicines in Ireland by strategically addressing medicines shortages and gaps in availability, encouraging an increase in the number of authorised and marketed medicines in Ireland and reducing our national reliance on Exempt Medicinal Products (EMPs). The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) are members of this working group, along with the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Irish Medicines Verification Organisation (IMVO), and the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE).
It is acknowledged that medicine shortages, when they occur, present significant challenges for patients and healthcare professionals. My department remains committed to managing these situations effectively so as to minimise their impact on patients and on healthcare professionals, including hospital and community pharmacists.
