I see in this morning’s newspapers that the regulator for the pharmacy sector is considering ways of expanding the services provided by the pharmacy sector to include important primary care services such as screening for diabetes and other common disorders, managing long-term stable conditions and delaing with minor ailments in order that people do not have to attend their GPs.

Senator Jerry Buttimer
What are the Senator’s Cabinet colleagues doing about the strike proposed for next week?

An Cathaoirleach
Senator de Búrca without interruption.

Senator Fidelma Healy Eames
They will all be closed.

Senator Déirdre de Búrca
The Green Party has always believed that the pharmacy sector—

Senator Fidelma Healy Eames
You are in Government.

An Cathaoirleach
We are not going to have a debate across the floor. Senators should speak through the Chair. They will all get opportunities to contribute and I request them to obey the ruling.

Senator Déirdre de Búrca
The pharmacy sector has an important role to play in health promotion and prevention. The current  stand-off between the pharmacy sector and the HSE is unfortunate because it is in all our interests that the sector takes on a new and expanded role in terms of providing various health services. When the Minister comes to the House, I will ask her to address this issue and her vision of the future of the pharmacy sector and the expanded role it can play in the delivery of primary health care services. 

I refer to worrying research findings in regard to the use of anti-depressants. An article which contained a review of clinic trials obtained under freedom of information from the US federal drugs agency and which was published in the Public Library of Science indicated that the use of very common anti-depressants, such as Prozac, Seroxat and Effexor, are very ineffective in terms of their effect on the people taking them who suffer from depression. The HSE spent €5 million on Prozac and €5 million on Seroxat in 2006 and yet the efficacy of these drugs is very much being questioned by the information being released by the US federal drugs agency. It is important we look at this issue as part of our examination of mental health. Perhaps the Minister will address this issue when she comes to the House. 

The policy A Vision for Change does not seem to be resourced as originally intended. It is important in terms of the delivery of our mental health services that we move away from an over-reliance on pharmaceutical approaches to dealing with common mental health problems, such as depression, and that we look at alternatives. People who have commented on this research have stated that there is a shortage of alternatives available, including counselling and psychotherapy services, for people who suffer from depression. It is in all our interests to ensure the mental health services expand so that these alternativesbecome much more readily available and we reduce our reliance on pharmaceutical interventions. 

Filed under:
Health and Children, Order of Business, Seanad Speeches by Deirdre