Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank my colleague, Senator Colm Burke, for sharing time with me. He has covered a lot of points.

It is important to note that the Minister of State has come here because it is clear that the changes to the way Versatis patches are prescribed has upset a lot of people. It is important that the people who have been caught out by the changes are given reassurance and clearly told how they will be looked after. The Minister of State has set out, in a clinical fashion, why the changes have been made. He said the decision was taken in the interest of patient well-being and health, and to ensure that the medication is properly prescribed, which is what we would all subscribe to.

Many people were surprised by the changes. In this situation one cannot adopt the view that changes have been made but one can think about the situation. If people need patches to help manage their pain they will be very quickly reminded of their pain when they either run out of the patches or have to pay for them out of their own pocket. Let us remember that many people who suffer chronic pain are not in a position to work and that is why we must provide support to them. A person who suffers chronic pain needs pain management medication or pain management of some sort. These people really suffer on a daily basis. The graphic descriptions and personal testimonies have been very moving. It is shocking to think that people must live with such pain and it is no surprise they feel desperate now that the way Versatis patches are prescribed has been changed.

The Minister of State has explained the new mechanism. A GP can make a clinical case to change the original prescription and continue to prescribe the patch for his or her patient. In such cases, to what extent will a GP be challenged? Clearly, a GP will have made a clinical decision before writing a prescription, which is where many people will feel upset and say their GPs feel they should receive the patches. When a clinical case is lodged with the HSE, to what extent are a doctor's views taken as the correct position? Each GP knows his or her own patient.

Another issue was brought to my attention by somebody who was affected by the recent changes. I know of a woman who has been approved and decreed to be one of the exceptional cases following an appeal. Unfortunately, she will have to have her prescription assessed again in three months' time. The woman has a neurological problem that will only get worse over her lifetime. It is not like she suffered an accident and will recover. Unfortunately, many people have to deal with the recent changes. It does not make sense that they must keep applying for their medication to be approved. If one has been diagnosed as having a permanent ailment that will gradually get worse, the new system must be fine tuned to achieve what the Government seeks to achieve.We also need to protect vulnerable patients who are stuck in the middle of this impasse. We need to see there is a clear pathway whereby people who need the patches that are being prescribed by their GPs will have them.