Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 9:

In page 25, subsection (1), line 27, after "decision" to insert "and to prescribers and pharmacists".

If the Minister of State cannot accept this amendment now, he should go away, take some advice and consider it for Report Stage. I do not mean that in a disparaging way. There is no reference to prescribers and pharmacists in this section. For example, if something is removed from the list, there is an obligation for the Health Service Executive to notify the manufacturer, but it has no obligation to notify prescribers or pharmacists. This could present difficulties. For example, a prescriber or pharmacist may be blissfully unaware that a product has been removed from the list and may continue to prescribe or stock it. Surely they should be informed at the same time as the manufacturer, as a matter of logistics? Pharmacists would need to secure other types of medication similar to that item and hold them in stock. If they are not informed they may not do that, so patients going to their local pharmacists on a regular basis may have to wait a number of days or go elsewhere if the pharmacist is unaware that this product has been removed from the list. That is the primary purpose of this very logical amendment. I hope that if he cannot accept it today, he will consider it in the broader context of Report Stage.