Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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203. To ask the Minister for Health if there is a contingency plan in place in order that smaller hospitals that do not have compounding capabilities and do not run out of chemotherapy drugs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25261/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The vast majority of anti-cancer medications are made in the Aseptic Compounding Units (ACUs) in hospitals. There is one external manufacturer in Ireland who supplies approximately 15% of compounded chemotherapy preparations to hospitals in Ireland. This licensed manufacturer is subject to regulatory oversight by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).

Should there be an issue in relation to the supply of anti-cancer medications, contingency plans can be implemented under the direction of the National Cancer Control Programme. Contingency measures include: the compounding of chemotherapy in the hospitals which have ACUs, inter-hospital cooperation within hospital groups, the ordering of medications from licensed manufacturers outside of the country, or the preparation of certain medications at ward level or in the pharmacy department in hospitals.

The recent chemotherapy supply issues relate to manufacturing problems experienced by the Irish supplier of compounded chemotherapy preparations. Under the direction of the NCCP, hospitals implemented the above contingency measures in order to minimise the impact on patients.

The production of chemotherapy products resumed on Monday 22 May. Contingency plans will remain in place in affected hospitals until full service is resumed. The NCCP will continue to monitor the situation closely over the coming days to ensure that any disruption to patients is minimised.

The HSE has also indicated it intends to conduct a needs assessment for local compounding requirements at the hospitals providing chemotherapy services. This will inform the options on improving internal HSE resilience in the short, medium and long term.

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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204. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider pharmacists prescribing nicotine replacement therapy the way in which the morning after pill is prescribed (details supplied); if he will adopt the HIQA recommendation of a review of dispensing rules for nicotine replacement therapy on the general medical scheme and that this takes place without delay in order that operational structures can be developed to provide nicotine replacement therapy without a prescription to general medical scheme patients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25262/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.