Medicine shortages nationally continue to intensify, however, a Ballina based pharmacist says patients can be assured that their community pharmacist is well qualified and will do everything to meet customer’s needs with the best available substitute/ similar products.

The latest Medicine Shortage index from Azure shows there are now 241 medicines out of stock, with shortages in treatment of allergic eye conditions, including hayfever.

There are also issues with antibiotics.

There’s been an increase of over a third in medicine shortages in Ireland, since this time last year (May 2022).

James Geraghty of Molloys Lifestyle Pharmacies and Health Stores, with shops across Mayo, Galway and Roscommon says due to supply shortages, the government needs to introduce a system similar to that now available in the UK, known as the “Serious Shortage Protocol, where a community pharmacist can provide an alternative prescription medicine if the prescribed medicine is not available, without having to refer back to the GP.

James has been speaking to Midwest News Editor Teresa O’Malley about the scale of the medicine shortages at present….