Cough syrups, sprays for sore throats and dissolvable paracetamol powder are among over 200 medicines that are out of stock in Ireland.
The reasons for the shortages have been listed as an unexpected increase in demand along with issues in the supply chain. And some medicines are not expected to be back in stock for months, leaving pharmacists scrabbling for alternatives amidst the winter virus season.
In total, there are 219 medicinal products unavailable, according to latest data published by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).
There are multiple Benylin cough syrups out of stock with the earliest return date to shelves listed as the end of February.
However, a manufacturing delay with Benylin Dry Coughs Syrup means that it will remain off the shelves until April.
This comes after a pharmacist Kathy Maher, owner of Haven Pharmacy in Duleek, Co Meath, told The Irish Mirror that there does not seem to be a “cough bottle in the country for dry cough.”
Other medicines experiencing shortages are for use across a range of health conditions, including respiratory and bacterial infections, strep throat, pneumonia, pain relief and blood pressure.
Antibiotics used to treat bacterial and respiratory infections, including Amoxicillin, Penicillin and Cefalexin, are also widely unavailable.
The Medicines Shortage Index, prepared by Azure Pharmaceuticals, found that 40% of the medicines currently out of stock are provided to the Irish market by a single supply.
The full list of medicine shortages in Ireland can be found here.
A spokesperson for the Health Product Regulatory (HPRA) said that the demand for some medicines used to treat seasonal illnesses has increased by two to three times the normal level.
They said: “The HPRA has been engaging with all stakeholders, including suppliers, with a view to ensuring a coordinated response to this increased demand. The key focus at all times has been to ensure that suitable medicines remain available to treat all patients.
“Patients and the general public are asked not to seek supplies of medicines over and above their normal requirements. Doing so will disrupt existing stock levels and hamper the supply of medicines for others.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health, meanwhile, said that “shortages of raw materials, manufacturing difficulties, increased demand, product recalls due to potential quality defects, and industry consolidations” have led to shortages.
They said: “At the request of the Department of Health, the HPRA has assumed a coordinating function in Ireland’s response to managing medicine shortages when they occur.”
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