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THE Asthma Society of Ireland is calling on the 11,204 people with asthma and the 16,248 people with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) in Kerry to refrain from stockpiling their medications during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Society is assuring the 380,000 people who have asthma in Ireland, and the 500,000 people with COPD that there is no national shortage of asthma and COPD medication.
Sarah O’Connor, CEO of the Asthma Society of Ireland, said: “The Asthma Society has been liaising closely with the IPU, the HSE, the Department of Health and with various pharmaceutical companies who have reassured us that there is a good stock of asthma and COPD medications in Ireland.
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“There is no need to order extra medicines than you need for the coming month. This will affect the supply of medicines for others. There is no disruption to the supply of medicines – our Irish supply chains are well-stocked, established and reliable.
Over the past two weeks, we’ve had people with asthma and/or COPD reaching out to us expressing their concerns that some pharmacies are running out of medications for asthma and COPD. But there is no need to be concerned about this. Re-stocking of pharmacies with these medications was delayed over the weekend due to people with respiratory illnesses panic-buying medications to last several months in recent weeks. We have been reassured that this minor delay was temporary and has been resolved with deliveries to pharmacies in recent days.
Although it is very important to ensure you have enough medication to comply with instructions given by your doctor, at this current critical time, we are calling on our people with respiratory illnesses to please ensure they only purchase enough medication for one month. “Panic buying” in this manner is resulting in others with respiratory illnesses unable to access essential medication. During this uncertain time, please be considerate of others.”
The HSE’s National Clinical Respiratory Programme and the Asthma Society are advising all people with asthma and COPD to visit asthma.ie for questions in relations to coronavirus and their condition.
Sarah O’Connor, added: “It is of the utmost importance that patients only look to reputable sources for any information/advice people with asthma and/or COPD. The Asthma Society of Ireland’s website www.asthma.ie hosts specific information for people with asthma and/or COPD on the coronavirus. It contains a comprehensive ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section which answers the most common questions on the coronavirus, along with some very specific ones, along with essential information on how to manage your asthma and/or COPD at this time. All information on our coronavirus pages has been reviewed and approved by the HSE and by the HSE’s National Clinical Respiratory Programme.”
