Sorca Clarke
Question:2052. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the actions being taken to increase hormone replacement therapy supplies. [41916/22]
View answerTuesday, 26 July 2022
Questions (2052)
Written answers
Colleagues in the department and across the health sector continue to work to resolve the issues around supply of Hormone Replacement Therapies. On 19th May, I met with representatives of Marketing Authorisation Holders (MAHs) of products implicated in the recent HRT shortages, together with Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), Health Service Executive, Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU) representatives and clinical representative from the National Women and Infants Health Programme (NWIHP). An additional stakeholder meeting was held in June with representatives from the Department, HPRA and HSE to discuss and assess the supply of HRT medicines. My Department continues to engage with relevant stakeholders on this matter.
Based on information provided by companies involved in the recent HRT shortages, supply of HRT products has largely been restored. The MAH of one line of products has confirmed that its task force on HRT has reviewed the supply situation and in line with current increased trends, has ordered more product to be manufactured, with intermitted supply of this product available across all pack strengths. Full supply will be resolved across the various strengths between August and mid October. The HPRA continues to engage with the suppliers of HRT to obtain updates and remains open to regulatory flexibilities enabling supply of additional stock from other markets, where possible.
The Department plans to continue managing medicines shortages through the established multi-stakeholder medicines shortages framework that is coordinated by the HPRA. This framework was established to prevent, wherever possible, and manage medicines shortages.