Published:
-
-
Author: Stephen Corrigan
~ 2 minutes read
A shortage of medicines is adding to the misery of Galway GPs and pharmacists amid the ongoing crisis in healthcare.
That’s according to local pharmacist and spokesperson for the Irish Pharmacy Union, Dr Barra Nevin, who said HSE advice to avoid overcrowded hospitals had heaped pressure on GPs and pharmacists.
Adding to that pressure was the ongoing situation where pharmacists are required to contact GPs if they need to swap ‘short’ medications for an appropriate alternative – particularly as antibiotic shortages arise, said Dr Nevin.
“In recent months, we have seen a new phenomenon of medicine shortages. Community pharmacists and their teams are working hard to keep on top of it – in summer, we had a shortage of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Now, we are seeing shortages of antibiotics and other medicines.
“For any given ‘short’ antibiotic, there are different ones available within the same class, and there are even step-ups for antibiotics for the same infectious condition,” continued Dr Nevin, who stressed that patients need not be concerned that medication would be unavailable to them.
The issue was that for every change, a call to each patients GP was required – and given the level of demand on both GPs and pharmacists in the current wave of respiratory infections, this was creating “unnecessary delay”.
“The pharmacist, an expert in medicine who has spent five years in university with a master’s degree – who already knows what antibiotic should be given – has to contact the doctor to get a replacement within the same class.
“This can take a long time due to the pressures being experienced by GPs at the moment,” said Dr Nevin, who owns Roscam Pharmacy in Galway City.
Get the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now, or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie. You can also download our Connacht Tribune App from Apple’s App Store or get the Android Version from Google Play.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune:
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
More like this:
State funds to protect historic monuments
Ten Galway sites will share almost half a million euro after the Government’s weekend announced a...
FF picks its team for Tuam local election vote
Fianna Fail has confirmed the party’s selection for the Tuam Municipal Council area – and it does...
Gort Cancer Support picks its colour for fundraising initiative
Gort Cancer Support is hoping its new fundraising initiative will help them in their efforts to p...
University of Galway launches new scholarship in honour of actress Siobhán McKenna
University of Galway has launched a new scholarship in honour of renowned actress, Siobhán McKenn...
Three arrested after highly visible incident near gates of UHG
Three people have been released from Garda custody following a highly visible incident near the g...
Close to a million euro worth of cannabis seized in Galway city
Close to a million euro worth of cannabis has been seized at a property in Galway city, and two m...
Cloonboo motorist nabbed during National Slow Down Day
A motorist has been detected driving at 112 kilometres per hour in a 50 zone in Cork. Another was...
Plans advancing for major active travel project along N63 in Abbeyknockmoy
Plans are advancing for a major active travel project along the N63 in Abbeyknockmoy. At a meetin...
Three Galway companies make finals of EY Entrepreneur of the Year
Three Galway companies have made the finals of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2024. Ruth Mackey,...