Pharmacists are calling on the Health Minister, to give them the ability to provide alternative antibiotics for people with the Strep A infection.
It comes as the country deals with a shortage in penicillin-based antibiotics, which are commonly used to treat the illness.
The Irish Pharmacy Union says there are other antibiotics out there, but at the moment people are being left waiting for an updated prescription - delaying their treatment.
Union representative Annemarie Horan says pharmacists in the UK have already been given the power to provide alternative medicine.
We want to be allowed to utilize our clinical skill to be able to do this.
Its not just Ireland having this problem, Its a UK and EU issue.
So because of increased demand, raw ingredient shortages and manufacturing issues, we're having problems sourcing these drugs.
In the UK they put in this protocol that pharmacists don't need to contact prescribers.
