Shortage of life saving medicine for cancer patients ‘ worrying’

Dear madam, The revelation that hundreds of cancer patients who are relying on chemotherapy drugs for their vital cancer treatment and recovery, are now facing a shortage of life- saving medicines is deeply- worrying.

Dr. Ray McDermott, an oncologist in Tallaght Hospital and St. Vincents Hospital in Dublin, said that he is very concerned at this development which is causing unnecessary stress and disruption to cancer patients at a most difficult time in their lives. The drugs which are commercially compounded are administered intravenously and Baxter Healthcare are the only company supplying these drugs to public and private hospitals.

A spokesperson for Baxter Healthcare said in recent days that they are doing all they can to deal with the ‘ temporary supply constraint’ caused by technical difficulties by themain supplier which has halted IV drug delivery.

One would hope that Health Minister Simon Harris and the HSE would have this problem sorted out by now, as the risk of over- reliance on one supplier of vital life- saving drugs was signalled two years ago.

The last thing cancer patients want is more worry and stress as they fight this ever increasing disease, and we hope this latest episode will not have consequences for patients prognosis and psychological well- being further down the road. Tom Towey, Cloonacool