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AN EXPERT HEALTHCARE group wants to the State to encourage responsible self-care among people in Ireland.
The Self-Care Working Group has just published its document Self-Care First, and among its proposals is that medicines be made available as ‘Pharmacy Only’ rather than ‘Prescription Only’.
The group, which was established in 2010, comprises representatives from the Irish Pharmacy Union, The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, TCD, the Department of General Practice at University College Cork, the pharmaceutical industry and an observer from the HSE.
Framework
The framework document sets out its recommendations, which include:
Pharmacists
It also says that the role of the pharmacist should be expanded in the delivery of healthcare promotions; the enhancement of their advisory role; and the free treatment of common illnesses to medical card patients through the establishment of a Minor Ailment Scheme.
It seeks to make more over-the-counter medicines available in order to enhance the appropriate use of self-medication, supported by increased level of advice from pharmacists.
Self-Care
David Hall, Chairman of IPHA Consumer Healthcare Medicines Division, said that the current Government appears to fully recognise the merits of such a framework and he hopes the proposals will inform them in rolling out a co-ordinated programme of self-care.
Rory O’Donnell, President of the Irish Pharmacy Union, said:
What we are ultimately seeking is a healthy population that doesn’t need medical or pharmaceutical intervention at all. The next step back is self-care – the patient taking more control of their own health.
The framework has six pillars, with pillar number five, switching medicines, being the “heaviest” pillar, said Hall.
‘Switching’ means making more prescribed-only medicines made available without prescription though pharmacies.
From our point of view of giving patient access to medicine when they need it. Other jurisdictions would have many more OTC medicines than we have.
He said that going to the GP for some issues – such as migraine, for example – ends up costing more in terms of time.
Regarding patient trust in pharmacists, he said that an IPU study on behaviours and attitudes earlier this year showed that 90 per cent of the adults surveyed “would be hugely in support of more medicines available in pharmacies”.
The move would also save money, he said, adding that an American study by the FDA suggested that $200 billion could be saved by switches, which he said could translate to €100 or €200 million in Ireland.
Now that the framework has been released, he said they are hopeful the Irish Medicines Board will report soon on this area and produce a list of products that could be ‘switched’ in an Irish context.
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Asthma medicine in Australia available pharmacy only, yet you need a prescription here. Added cost and added anxiety.
Spain asthma med available over counter not aware of inhaler misuse over there.
As soon as I saw the headline I thought of Asthmatics too. I agree 100%. Asthmatics in this country are, like many ofther groups with various conditions, nothing but a cash cow for their GPs. I’ve had Asthma since I was three years old. My GP (and all of them I’ve ever had) will only issue a prescription for a particular number of months (3 ususally) or if I ask them to make it a reasonable number of months (say 6) on the repeat, they’ll sneakily limit the number of repeats for that duration. This means I must make unnecessary trips to my GP’s surgery multiple times per year just so they can be guaranteed a minimum amount of money can be collected from me to help pay for their new Volvo XC90 – because it does cost to have the GP fill a new prescription, i.e., click ‘Print’ on their pc and scribble a signature. €25 please! I have to call to request this and then drop in to collect prescriptions for medication which I need to manage a condition that it not ever going to go away and if I question the need for such regularity I’d be told that I *should* be seeing my GP or at the very least the ‘Asthma Nurse’ anyway a certain number of times per year in order to make sure i am correctly managing my Asthma. Why? I’m sorry but this is a load of horse manure. The truth is that this is a racket. In a 34 year old male, it is highly unlikely that the Asthma is going to suddenly go away overnight resulting in someone purchasing a medication for a condition they no longer have. Also, as it is me who experiences the symptoms, in most cases I know better than the GP who, unless living with it themselves, has only textbook descriptions, case studies and experiences of other patient’s symptoms to base their opinion on. I have 31 years, multiple acute attacks and a collapsed lung under my belt. Having lived with this for 31 years I know how to manage the drugs without a GPs supervision and in many cases I would know more about how to manage my condition than they could ever hope to learn. This obsessive, greedyily guarded control over the prescription of Asthma medication is not about either care or caution in the management of a condition or the prescribing of dosage, it’s all about extorting money out of vulnerable people who are utterly at the mercy of their GPs.
Paul I could have written your post, I’ve also suffered from chronic asthma since age 3 and was hospitalised numerous times as a kid. I still require my Ventolin everywhere I go. For the last few years I have been asking anyone I know going to Spain to grab a few for me (as they’re not only prescription free, but a few quid cheaper too). This is also true of my preventer (Beclazone) it’s 38 euro here (with prescription) and around 12 there (no prescription).
Asthma needs to be treated as a long term illness. It has the potential to be every bit as debilitating as other recognised long term illnesses, for those of us who never grew out of it.
It’s high time they stopped exploiting us.
I see I got some red thumbs. Ignorance is bliss. Let me enlighten those of you who disagree with me but don’t know why or can’t be bothered to state your case. Mary in the following example is taking the same medication as myself: Symbicort and Ventolin.
The following is from the Boots website:
“¹Mary – Asthma Patient:
Mary is a 24-year-old student and has had asthma since childhood. She is now ineligible for inclusion on the family DPS scheme and has to pay the full cost of her medicines each month. Mary is currently prescribed Symbicort 200/6 (to be used every day) and Ventolin (for use when symptoms arise). The monthly cost of Mary’s medicine is €94.65….”
I often hear people jokingly say that next the government will be taxing us for the air we breathe. Well for some people like myself and Laura above, who are dependent upon certain medication in order to be able to breathe at all, they already are.
Agreed. I also have asthma and could never afford a preventer inhaler. Recently I was in hospital and I was out of work for 5 weeks. However, a free trip to the doc wont do. My meds are €150 a month which I cant afford so my asthma is just gonna get worse, Im gonna keep needing time off work for hospital visits and Im probably gonna end up in hospital more over the next few years. 80 people die from asthma every year in Ireland. Its a long term illness and meds should be free.
Fair play. Good cause.
How many are on medical cards Being given medicine they don’t need at prices we can’t afford? Don’t say it isn’t happening. There many a house in this country overflowing with unwanted medicines being pushed out by the system, paid for by the taxpayer.
I was in Spain earlier this and needed to refill my prescripton, what a surprise to find out I could buy them over the counter and that they cost me 2/3 the cost of at home. Its a typical Irish rip off.
Can anyone explain why part of our excessive prescription costs is due to an Irish Medicines Board requirement that certain prescription medicines be packaged differently to the rest of Europe? It sounds more of a way to spend money than an essential requirement.
Be nice to be able to buy voltarol anti-inflammatory tablets like you can in the UK. Only get the cream here and costs €65 to go to my doc for a prescription for tablets
I’d be amazed if the vested interests in the IMB allowed pharmaceuticals to be more readily available. Medicines in Ireland are sold for the profit of the IPU members and not in the interests of the Irish patient.
I agree with Marian Lenehan. When medication such as Seretide and Ventolin are as cheap as in, say, Spain then by all means have them as over-the-counter. Till then we should have free GP care. That would sort out having to go back for a script every three or so months. GP’s wouldn’t be so keen on having patients back just to fill a script then.
Increasing the number of OTC medicines is not a good idea, in my opinion. I’ve wondered why there are so many chemists in Dublin and this initiative fits in with my view that chemists are big business in Ireland and they want a greater slice of the medicines cake. The dangers of self-medicationg are numerous: over-medicating, delaying appropriate intervention and increasing the incidents of MRSA, to name just a few. What is needed in Ireland is a free GP service and modest prescription charges where people can access good quality healthcare advice and recommended medication without heafty charges. Maybe these new Primary Care Centres are the answer. The idea for these centres is copied from the UK’s NHS – free GP service and modest prescription charges is another thing you should emulate.
Have a look at how much gps prescribe addictive drugs such as benzodiazepines to people experiencing stress or anxiety when a few talk or counselling session is proven to be more effective
At the price of asthma medication (or any other medicines for that matter) in this country it’s as well it’s on prescription with the DPPS scheme. What people are forgetting is that if medications come off prescription patients have to pay full price for them, imo.
have your say