The Minister for Health says he is considering making it easier to access epipens in an emergency.

James Reilly says the Department of Health is looking at ways to make it easier for pharmacists to offer the pens to people suffering major allergic shocks.

The news follows the death of teenager Emma Sloan (14), who died after being refused an epipen while suffering from a major anaphylactic shock.

She collapsed on O'Connell Street in Dublin after mistakenly eating a satay sauce.

Emma Sloan collapsed and died in Dublin

She could not get an epipen device to help her because she did not have a prescription - and her mother has been fighting for them to be freely available.

It was introduced in the US after two school children died, and it is being introduced state-by-state in Canada. It is claimed the pen would cost just a premises just 10 cents a day to stock the pen.

However Minister Reilly says rules on pharmacies already allow chemists to administer the drugs in emergency scenarios.