Health Committee to discuss issues around prescription drugs

The agenda for the meeting is as follows:

(i) Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposal: Schedule A – http://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/1/2017/EN/COM-2017-753-F1-EN-MAIN-PART-1.PDFCOM(2018) 51 - (Health Technology Assessment)

(ii) Evaluation of the use of prescription drugs [Representatives from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland; Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and the Irish College of  General Practitioners]

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Committee Chair, Dr Michael Harty TD said, “The topic of the quantity of prescription medication being issued and the appropriateness of some prescribed medications is an ongoing concern. There is a belief amongst the general public that there is a drug for every ill, from the simplest of conditions to the most complex. Polypharmacy is a growing problem as our population ages and develop multiple illnesses. Drug interactions and side effects of medication are now a significant problem together with the risks of dependence. Non-pharmacological treatments are preferable to prescription where appropriate, but there are issues around the availability of services in communities together with lengthening waiting list for assessment and intervention that impact on additional prescribing.  Appropriate careful prescribing with regular review will be one of the topics that will be discussed at tomorrow’s meeting.”