Dr. Diarmuid Quinlan:

It is a really good, pertinent question. The Medical Council has an overprescribing working group, which will be producing a report shortly. I am on it and some of my pharmacy colleagues are also on it. There is serious concern at all levels about overprescribing and misuse of benzodiazepines, hypnotics and Z-drugs. We need to collectively work on the issue. The Medical Council is leading on this. I anticipate that the report will be released in the not too distant future. It is a serious problem and we are certainly looking at it.