Ms Breda McMahon:

There is probably a gap there. A lot needs to be done to allow endometriosis patients to have holistic care. I refer to a combination of pain management specialists, dietitians and pelvic floor physiotherapists along with their consultant surgeons. There is definitely a gap there. Many endometriosis patients will not have appropriate pain management care.

Over the counter just does not work out. Either way, long-term pain management through those sorts of drugs is not how anybody should be expected to live. We are aware of cases like that of Ms Aimee Brown. She had to go further to access the pain relief provided by cannabis because of the extent of her condition. I think it very much depends on the case. What we are trying to say is that the usual prescription is pain medication. Is that really how we want to deal with this issue, given that it spans decades? The answer is "No". The question is to find alternative ways to help people manage the pain.