Vol. 524 No. 5
306 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the way in which a mail order service operating in Ireland from the United Kingdom through an Irish newspaper advertisement is offering prescription drugs such as Viagra without full or any professional knowledge of the patient's needs or medical history. [23155/00]
Under the Irish Medicines Board Act, 1995, the Irish Medicines Board is the competent authority for the authorisation of medicinal products on the market in this country and for the supervision of the controls in force. I understand from the board that it is currently investigating an advertisement for oral medication in an Irish magazine. It has been established that the supplier in England has supplied the medicinal product Viagra to a person who did not have a prescription from a registered medical practitioner.
The Irish Medicines Board, pointing out the breach of a number of medicinal products regulations, has contacted the magazine which has been instructed to cease this particular advertisement and any other such advertisement.
In view of the fact that the clinic placing the advertisement is located outside this jurisdiction, the IMB has also been in contact with the medicines control agency in the UK on this matter. The investigation is ongoing.
