Mr. Pat O'Mahony:

In general they are prescription-only for the five years. The most important issue in respect of how the landscape has changed - this gets to the kernel of the question - is that the prerogative remains with the companies to make applications in respect of switching. Let us be clear about this; if we were to determine that a particular medicine should be switched from prescription-only to being available on an over-the-counter basis, in legal terms we are prevented from insisting on this with the company involved. That is an extremely important point. Until approximately two years ago, the decision on whether a medicine should be prescription-only resided - through the various Schedules to the relevant legislation - with the Department. However, it was transferred to us as a specific task at that point. That is what led us to start thinking more proactively about the concept of switching. The consultative panel was established in order to draw out opinion from the broader stakeholder groups, including patients, public health professionals, doctors, pharmacists, the Department, the HSE and nurses.

I was asked if a policy exists in respect of switching. The Department has made it clear that where medicines can be switched from prescription-only to being safely available on an over-the-counter basis - in other words, where they can be provided by pharmacists without patients being obliged to go directly to doctors for full clinical examinations and proper diagnoses - then, at the lowest cost in circumstances where benefit-risk is maintained, the trend should be to switch. That is the current position. Deputy Kelleher stated that IMB has never delisted, which is not correct. We have switched quite a number of medicines over time.