Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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190. To ask the Minister for Health if a person (details supplied) will be advised in relation to the provision of medication. [41487/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The supply of Osteofos D3 1200mg/800IU Powder for Oral Suspension resumed on the 8th October 2019. The product is now available to pharmacies to order from wholesalers. The product was out of stock from August due to delays at the manufacturing site. Authorised alternatives in the same therapeutic class were available during the period of the shortage.

Unfortunately, medicine shortages are a feature of modern health systems, but Ireland has a multi-stakeholder system in place to prevent and manage shortages when they occur. The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) has worked with stakeholders, including the HSE, to develop an effective approach to the management of medicine shortages in Ireland. In 2018 the HPRA launched the “Medicine Shortages Framework”, which is built in a pragmatic and collaborative approach involving the wide range of stakeholders within the medicine supply chain. The HPRA coordinates all stakeholders to share information in order to prevent or mitigate the impact of medicine shortages when they occur.

Information detailing current, resolved shortages and how to report a shortage directly to the HPRA can be found on the HPRA website: