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Foreword from the Editor: Kelly-Jo Eastwood
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) is calling for the forthcoming Programme for Government to include the implementation of the recommendations of the Department of Health expert group regarding reform of clinical negligence claims.

A Department of Health expert group, chaired by Professor Rhona Mahony, recently recommended various new approaches and mechanisms, including the introduction of
pre-action protocols, with sanctions for any party who fails to adhere to them.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association has said implementing these reforms will be crucial to accelerating the resolution times of claims, reducing the cost of litigation, and sparing patients and families from prolonged and stressful legal processes. You can read more about this on page 5.

In other news on page 7, Pharmacists in both community and hospital settings are well positioned to swiftly detect substandard and falsified (SF) medical products in supply chains, report them to the authorities, and educate and advise affected patients, FIP told the World Health Organisation (WHO) Executive Board in Geneva, Switzerland.

Substandard and falsified (SF) medical products as defined by the World Health Organization, are major threats to public health. Through increasing globalisation, the problem has expanded in both developed and developing countries.

A multiagency working group has recently published a report “Examining the Overprescribing of Benzodiazepines, Z Drugs and Gabapentinoids in Ireland”.

The report was written and produced by a Working Group established by the Medical Council with representatives from across the health sector. It outlines the key issues identified and recommendations of the Working Group, which was established to review and address overprescribing by doctors of benzodiazepines, z-drugs, and gabapentinoids in Ireland. The recommendations within the report aim to reduce the initiation and inappropriate prescribing of these medicines in the interests of patient and doctor safety, and to support prescribers. The full details are on page 8.

I hope you enjoy the issue.