A recent survey has indicated that over 40% of pharmacists are issuing between one and five non-licensed drugs daily, owing to a lack of supply. An exempt medicinal product (EMP), while not registered or sanctioned in Ireland, can be lawfully prescribed for special patient needs.
The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) doesn’t evaluate such products for safety, quality or effectiveness, as they are exempt from the obligation to acquire marketing authorisation. Insiders relayed that although EMPs were initially intended for unique situations, a surge in medication shortages has resulted in increasing reliance on these products. HPRA’s latest data reports in excess of 270 moderate to significant medicine shortages.
The survey carried out by the polling firm, Ireland Thinks, on behalf of Azure Pharmaceuticals, found that 43% of the 200 pharmacists interviewed dispensed one to five EMPs a day. In contrast, 29% dispensed six to ten daily, and 18% dispensed them between 11-20 times daily. A small percentage of 8% dispensed them more than 20 times per day.
Sandra Gannon, the managing director at Azure Pharmaceuticals, pointed out that escalating use of EMPs manifests the failure to address the shortage of medicines. She expressed that the continuously dwindling medication supplies left pharmacists with limited options resulting in them dispensing non-licensed medicines.
An Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) representative stated that the dispersal rate of EMPs is on a consistent annual incline. Identified causes include shortages of original products, products not authorised in Ireland, and discontinued marketing of certain medications. The representative further expressed concern over these ongoing shortages and its impact on community pharmacists and their patients. Constant scarcity, they said, puts increasing pressure on these healthcare professionals as they try to find solutions daily and causes anxiety among patients who increasingly have to wait for resolution.
The Department of Health spokesperson characterised medicine shortages as a ubiquitous challenge of modern healthcare.
“The Health Department is advancing numerous measures such as foundational legislative changes to establish regulations that will improve the safety of medicine supply and effectively manage scarcities,” stated the representative. “For handling persistent or expected high-impact scarcities, the Health Department brings together a group composed of multiple stakeholders.”