Securing Ireland's essential medicine supply
+353 (0)1 969 2000 info@euma-pharma.com
Ireland's Drug Shortage Solution

The medicines Ireland depends on, back on the shelf.

EUMA Pharma exists to end the chronic shortage of essential medicines in Ireland. We bring new, reliable supply lines into the country for the treatments patients depend on every day — and we do it with the rigour Ireland's regulators expect.

An Irish company with a single focus.

EUMA secures Irish authorisations for essential medicines and partners with qualified international manufacturers to ensure consistent supply to the Irish market. We are agile enough to respond quickly to emerging shortages, and committed to long-term partnerships rather than short-term commercial gain.

The Impact

A shortage is not a line on a register.

It is a patient missing a dose. A pharmacist on the phone instead of with a customer. A health service paying more for less. The impact lands in three places — and all of them matter.

For Patients

Interrupted treatment, real consequences.

When an essential medicine is not on the shelf, patients miss doses, switch to less suitable alternatives, or stop treatment altogether. For chronic conditions like depression, hypertension and diabetes, even short interruptions set treatment back and cause avoidable harm.

Shortages also create stress, travel and time costs — particularly for older patients, parents, and those managing multiple prescriptions.

71%
of Irish pharmacists report negative patient outcomes due to medicine shortages.
For Pharmacists

Hours lost to phone calls, not patients.

Community pharmacists hold the system together when stock fails. They contact prescribers, borrow stock between pharmacies and counsel patients through unfamiliar substitutes — labour-intensive work that is largely unrecognised and unremunerated.

The cost is real: time away from clinical care, increased team workload, and growing professional fatigue across the network.

6+hrs / wk
spent by each pharmacy team managing shortages — up from 5–10 hours per month in 2018.
For the Economy

A direct cost to the health service.

Shortages drive the system towards more expensive alternatives, exempt medicinal products and emergency procurement. They increase prescriber and pharmacist workload, and drive avoidable GP and hospital activity.

The European Court of Auditors describes shortages as a significant economic cost to national health systems — alongside the patient harm itself.

96%
of European countries report active shortages — with 600+ medicines short in more than a third.
The Trend

And it is not getting better. Most pharmacists expect shortages to worsen.

Sources: IPU Medicine Shortages Survey 2025 · PGEU Medicine Shortages Report 2025 · European Court of Auditors Special Report 19/2025.
78%
of Irish pharmacists expect the problem to worsen over the next 12 months.
57%
encountered 40 or more shortages in a single four-month period.
The Solution

EUMA Pharma exists to change this trajectory.

We do not run another report on the problem. We bring the missing medicines back to Irish patients — through Irish authorisations, qualified global partners, and the regulatory rigour the system demands.

Free Industry Report

The EUMA Drug Shortage Report 2026.

An independent quarterly briefing for healthcare leaders, pharmacy groups, manufacturers and policy makers. Drawn from the HPRA register, IPU data and European supply-chain analysis — synthesised into a single, professionally formatted PDF.

  • The latest count of medicines listed in shortage on the Irish market
  • Breakdown by therapy area, formulation and reported cause
  • Quarter-on-quarter trend analysis and resolution rates
  • European comparators and regulatory context
  • Practical implications for pharmacy, prescriber and patient
PDF download Updated quarterly No payment required
EUMA Industry Report · Issue 01

The EUMA Drug Shortage Report.

Ireland's quarterly briefing on essential medicine supply. Drawn from HPRA, IPU and PGEU data.

What We Do

Therapeutic focus on areas where shortages have become chronic.

We concentrate on solid oral dose medicines in therapeutic areas where shortages have become a chronic feature of the Irish healthcare system. Each authorisation we hold is matched to a real, persistent patient need.

Mental Health

Authorisations supporting psychiatric and neurological care in Irish primary and secondary settings.

Cardiovascular

Essential cardiac and hypertension therapies where continuity directly impacts patient outcomes.

Endocrine

Hormone, diabetes and metabolic medicines for chronic conditions requiring uninterrupted treatment.

Gastrointestinal

Therapies for digestive conditions that have seen repeated and prolonged supply disruptions.

Format focus · Solid Oral Dose Medicines
Our Approach

Irish regulatory expertise. Global manufacturing capability.

EUMA combines deep Irish regulatory knowledge with the manufacturing capability of carefully selected global partners. Every product in our portfolio is supported by five non-negotiable foundations.

i.

EU GMP Certified Partners

Every product is sourced from a qualified manufacturing partner holding EU Good Manufacturing Practice certification.

ii.

Quality & Vendor Oversight

A robust quality and vendor oversight programme governs every supplier relationship from qualification through routine supply.

iii.

Irish Distribution

Established Irish wholesale and pharmacy distribution channels deliver products to the patients who need them.

iv.

HSE Pricing & Reimbursement

Full integration with HSE pricing and reimbursement processes, securing access through the Irish public system.

v.

Pharmacovigilance

Full pharmacovigilance and regulatory compliance under Irish and EU requirements for every authorisation held.

How We Work

From identified shortage to patient supply.

A clear, repeatable pathway from identifying a chronic shortage on the Irish market to delivering reliable, compliant supply through Irish wholesale and pharmacy channels.

01 · Identify

Shortage assessment

We monitor the HPRA register and HSE supply signals to identify essential medicines in chronic shortage on the Irish market.

02 · Partner

Manufacturer qualification

We partner with EU GMP certified international manufacturers holding suitable dossiers, qualifying each through full vendor oversight.

03 · Authorise

Irish authorisation

EUMA secures and holds the Irish authorisation, integrating HSE pricing and reimbursement where applicable.

04 · Supply

Reliable distribution

Products reach Irish patients through established wholesale and pharmacy channels, with full pharmacovigilance support.

Why EUMA

An Irish company with a single focus.

We are agile enough to respond quickly to emerging shortages, and committed to long-term partnerships rather than short-term commercial gain.

  • Singular mission

    One focus: securing reliable supply of the medicines that matter to Irish patients. No broader commercial agenda.

  • Agile response to shortages

    Structured to move quickly when new shortages emerge, with the regulatory and partnership capability to act within meaningful timeframes.

  • Long-term partnerships

    We build long-term relationships with manufacturers and wholesalers rather than chasing short-term commercial gain.

  • Irish regulatory depth

    Deep working knowledge of HPRA, HSE pricing and Irish pharmacy distribution, applied to every authorisation we hold.

Pharmacists are spending more than six hours every week managing medicine shortages. Patients are waiting longer for treatments that should be on the shelf.
SourceIrish Pharmacy Union Medicine Shortages Survey, 2025
Working With EUMA

We welcome contact from three groups.

If you operate at any point on the medicines supply chain in Ireland, or are affected by ongoing shortages, we want to hear from you.

For Manufacturers

Pharmaceutical manufacturers with EU dossiers

If you hold an EU dossier for a medicine relevant to the Irish market, EUMA can bring your product to Irish patients — quickly and to the standard the system demands.

Partner with us →
For Distribution

Irish wholesalers and pharmacy groups

EUMA works directly with established Irish wholesale and pharmacy distribution channels to deliver reliable supply through existing trade networks.

Trade enquiries →
For Patients & HCPs

Healthcare professionals and patients

If you are a healthcare professional or patient affected by an ongoing shortage of an essential medicine in Ireland, we want to hear from you.

Report a shortage →

Operated under full Irish and EU regulatory frameworks.

HPRA Authorised
EU GMP
HSE Reimbursement
Pharmacovigilance
Vendor Oversight
Contact EUMA

Help us secure Ireland's medicine supply.

Whether you are a manufacturer with an EU dossier, an Irish wholesaler or pharmacy group, or a healthcare professional affected by an ongoing shortage, we want to hear from you.

Free Drug Shortage Report Quarterly briefing · PDF