The free HRT scheme is not the reason why the product is currently in short supply, the Irish Pharmacy Union has said.
Since June 1st, hormone replacement therapy has been available to women for free, following an agreement with the Government over the dispensing fee for pharmacists.
HRT is prescribed to women who are undergoing the menopause and replaces hormones that decline as their bodies change.
On Newstalk Breakfast, Irish Pharmacy Union President Tom Murray described the HRT shortage as an “acute example of a wider problem”.
“There are currently approximately 300 common medicines short in Ireland,” he said.
“There is a huge global shortage of medicines and it’s a very common theme.
“But HRT people are acutely aware of it because the launch of the free HRT system - which we all welcomed - has obviously been in the media and the press.”
Mr Murray continued that the shortage is not caused by the free HRT scheme, as there has only been a “small increase in demand” since its introduction.
“It’s way too early to say whether that is causing such a level of increased demand that it’s exacerbating shortages,” he said.
“The shortages are there across all medicines.”
A customer giving prescription to pharmacist in pharmacy. Picture by: Alamy.com.For those women whose pharmacists whose supplies of HRT are out of stock, Mr Murray had this advice.
“Talk to their pharmacist - pharmacists are spending on average 16 hours a week dealing with medicine shortages,” he said.
“Pharmacists will talk to other pharmacists; we have networks where we ask people, ‘Who has this in stock?’ We help each other and we will do all we can.”
He added that he would like the Government to reform the system, to allow pharmacists to prescribe alternatives.
“One of the things we’ve also called for is a Severe Shortage Protocol, where the pharmacist would be allowed to substitute the medicine without the patient having to go back to the doctor,” he said.
Main image: A woman showing a prescription. Picture by: Alamy.com
