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PEOPLE WITH RESPIRATORY conditions are being assured that there is no shortage of medication for their conditions and that stockpiling isn’t necessary.
The Asthma Society of Ireland is today assuring people who have asthma or COPD that there are medicines there for them, and appealed to patients to refrain from stockpiling medications during the pandemic.
If people do stockpile, it can affect other people with respiratory conditions who are replacing their medicine when they run out.
The Asthma Society has also published advice specifically for asthmatics and those with COPD, after asking the HSE for official advice to combat misinformation that has been spread in the past two weeks.
There are around 380,000 people who have asthma in Ireland, and the 500,000 people with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
Sarah O’Connor, CEO of the Asthma Society of Ireland, said that the Irish Pharmacy Union, the HSE, the Department of Health and various pharmaceutical companies have reassured that there is “a good stock” of asthma and COPD medications in Ireland.
There is no need to order extra medicines than you need for the coming month. This will affect the supply of medicines for others. There is no disruption to the supply of medicines – our Irish supply chains are well-stocked, established and reliable.
She said that in the past two weeks, people with asthma or COPD have expressed concerns that some pharmacies are running out of medications for their condition.
She said that this wasn’t a concern, as pharmacies would simply restock the shelves.
“Re-stocking of pharmacies with these medications was delayed over the weekend due to people with respiratory illnesses panic-buying medications to last several months in recent weeks,” she said.
“We have been reassured that this minor delay was temporary and has been resolved with deliveries to pharmacies in recent days.”
David Delaney, president of Medicines for Ireland, reiterated on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that it wasn’t necessary to stockpile medicines.
Misinformation
The Clinical Lead of the National Clinical Respiratory Programme Des Murphy said that the Asthma Society’s coronavirus page is “a trusted resource” for people with asthma and COPD, and asked people to avoid acting on, or spreading misinformation.
“The spreading of misinformation on asthma/COPD management may put lives at risk and causes unnecessary fear and distress to patients and their families.”
Murphy said that during the past week, a lot of people on social media were advising others to avoid taking their preventive inhaler steroids.
The HSE has advised that patients with long-term illnesses should continue taking their prescribed medications unless advised otherwise by their healthcare professional.
It is extremely important at this time that people with asthma and/or COPD continue to take their preventative medication as advised by your healthcare professional unless he/she advises them not to do so. Failing to do so could result in an unnecessary asthma attack, which for some, prove fatal.
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How the heck did we manage before they named storms and give us red, orange and yellow warnings?
We just dressed sensibly and got on with it!!!
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: Well said
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: Ollie you’re so edgy
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: because some people don’t heed weather forecasts and don’t moderate their driving regarding their own or other’s safety. They have to be beaten over the head with a big stick to pay attention.?
That means a lot coming from…whoever the hell you are.
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: because it very useful to people that are affected by weather, namely farmers, HGV drivers, construction, forestry, anything water based and thats only to mention a few.
Can’t understand the whinging people do about colour warnings
@Ollie Fitzpatrick: Yes, and were killed by flying roof debris as happened to a poor man in my village back in the 60s.
I’m struggling to imagine how more information is a bad thing.
@Ronan McGrath: Not edgy at all Ronan, just showing my age. Lol ;>)
@Dave S: Dave, sorry if you thought I was whinging , I was being tongue in cheek whilst querying the national furore that exists when storms arrive. I was a professional driver all my working life over 50 years and know how these storms can affect all.
@Nell: Nell, most people do heed forecasts, but as you allude to some, don’t and never will. They are the sawdust heads that know it all and do their own thing to the detriment of others.
@Stanley Marsh: So sorry for the poor man who died. There are some people who will never heed weather warnings. We see them everytime there’s bad weather. If they actually got a phone warning, they still wouldn’t heed it!
Getting fairly breezy here now in Limerick west where we have a yellow wind warning.Im a bit worried for my good friends and neighbours in Kerry (orange warning) I might light a candle for them.
@Willie Marty: If you were any good, you would drive down to save them.
@Paul whitehead: too dangerous especially down around Kilgarvan where it might be extra windy if the Healy Raes are at home.
A morning of uncertainity for parents, schools saying not closing and with less than 5 mins notice ” oh school is closing”,
@: Tough life – I’ve no idea how you manage to keep going.
@: The winds of change
Eh no. Quite simple. Red Warning means no transport so schools close. No red warning so schools are open.
It’s not even raining lol
@Gavin Gray: Lashing here but I’ll take your word for it.
I remember walking to school in this kind of weather and you might get soaked, but it was just ordinary Irish weather, no big deal.
@ForYourSafety: and your teachers hogged the heater, while we froze yo death, the good old days.
@colette byrne: Lol you know it.
I don’t see the Climate stopping at the invisible line above Dundalk like Greedy Greens are telling us in the Republic that they only measure the 26 counties for emissions.
While the other 6 counties are happy out!!
@Luka Roche: What on earth are you on about, dear boy?
@Luka Roche: a great point that nobody talks about.
@Luka Roche: I never heard that one before.
Nanny is on overtime again
Hay guys, I’m gona climb Carrauntoohil and paraglide off its peak, land on the skilligs,then swim to Castletownbere,ride my motorbike up to the quays in Cork and have a picnic,cause I’m hard and don’t believe in this orange warning clap trap. There were no rainbow warnings in my day.
@HisMastersAlibi: hope you survive
Weather warning appear to be another day off for teachers.
Everyone else has to get on with their lives as usual
@Pat the Baker: nothing to do with safety of children, no? Just send your children out to play in the gale so, sure a few flying roof tiles and falling trees won’t bother them. Schools have a duty of care to the CHILDREN!
Rain now started here in co meath but not windy-yet! Stay safe everyone
If it’s breezy, I’m staying in bed till tomorrow. Disaster. Thank God for Topboy.
Beautiful here in Waterford. Early morning swim in Kilmurrin Cove then up the Cometaghs for a walk.
Dehydration is the real worry.
Comeraghs.
@Tommy Haze: Should stay up the Comeraghs for the afternoon, you know when it’s actually supposed to get stormy.
Brewing up a Storm.
have your say