Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Health the reason Metanium and Aternon are not available in chemists here and they are in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48516/12]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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Metanium is a medicinal product used to treat nappy rash. For a medicinal product to be placed on the market in Ireland the manufacturer must make an application to the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) for an authorisation. The manufacturer of metanium has not made an application to the IMB to authorise metanium and consequently there are no metanium products available at present on the Irish market.

Ateronon is a food supplement. I have been advised by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland that the sale of Ateronon is not prohibited in Ireland and there are no regulatory reasons preventing its sale in pharmacies in Ireland.