Medical shortages in Mayo 'a cause of significant stress' - candidate

Medicine shortages are causing significant stress for patients and pharmacists across Mayo.

That's according to Westport-based Fine Gael candidate Keira Keogh.

She elaborated: “This is a recurring issue on the canvass. Shortages don’t only impact costly medications but also everyday essentials like aspirin.

"Pharmacists report severe stock disruptions, with one noting a third of usual stock unavailable, while another mentioned over 300 missing medicines.

"Hospital pharmacists echo concerns, especially as IV fluids and antibiotics at times run critically low.

"Shortages stem from increased global demand, supply chain disruptions, and production delays, with lower-profit-margin drugs especially impacted.

“One pharmacist shared the story of a lady recently diagnosed with ADHD, who arranged time off for monitoring their blood pressure on their newly prescribed medicine ConcertaXL, but the pharmacist could not provide their prescription—a frustrating situation for the pharmacist and a worrying and stressful time for the patient who is unable to take more time off when the medicine becomes available."

Ireland’s smaller market makes it less attractive for suppliers, leaving critical drugs across oncology, diabetes, and cardiology particularly vulnerable.

Brexit has added complexity to the issue, with Ireland and Malta now being the only English-speaking EU markets. Many pharmacists are importing from the UK but this takes huge time to source and incurs high costs.

Pharmacists feel that just as there is a chief medical officer there is a need to appoint a chief pharmaceutical officer to manage these challenges and provide adequate support

Keogh is bringing this matter to the attention of Colm Burke, Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing, and the National Drugs Strategy is requesting that it be raised as a parliamentary question.

If elected to Dáil Éireann, Keogh pledges to tackle these issues.

"Patients and their pharmacists should focus on recovery and care—not on sourcing or worrying about medicines," she affirmed.