The Taoiseach may have seen the latest figures from the Health Products Regulatory Authority, HPRA, which are a cause for concern. Last year, for example, more than 750,000 units of illegal or fake medicines were seized and the number of individual packages separately purchased by members of the public rose by a whopping 180%. There was a 30-fold surge in fake glucagon-like peptide-1, GLP-1, weight loss products, for example, and also a sharp rise in seizures of pregabalin, which is a drug with legitimate applications, such as for epilepsy, but which can kill when misused. The HPRA, to its credit, has shut down thousands of online listings but the problem is still escalating. With this serious and growing public health threat, what additional measures and resourcing will the Government provide to curb the online sale of dangerous medicines, protect vulnerable people and ensure safe and affordable access to legitimate treatments?

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