Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The HPRA is doing a very good job. It is very actively engaged in this and I am open to seeing if there is a wider role it can play or more it can do. The HPRA publishes a list of shortages. It would be useful if it could show that in many of these cases, for example, it might be that the 12-pack of a medication is not available but the 24-pack is. The real squeeze is therefore substantially less than the list might suggest. We were just discussing the medicine shortages protocol. There is merit to it but there is a lot of work required. It might require legislative change and I have asked the Department to progress thinking on that to see if it is something we can bring in as a permanent change in terms of enhanced pharmacy care.

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