A decision by the HSE to restrict access to Versatis patches, which are used by people living with various types of chronic pain, has been widely criticised.

The medicated plasters were removed from the Drug Payment Scheme at the end of last year, meaning people must now pay full price for them. One box of the patches costs €160, however, people in severe pain may have to use at least two boxes per month.

Access to medical card patients also appears to be restricted since the beginning of the year.

An estimated 25,000 people have been affected by this.

The national charity, Chronic Pain Ireland (CPI), has recommended that anyone suffering with persistent neuropathic pain should appeal this decision.

"If you have already appealed and have been refused reimbursement of Versatis, you can get your GP or consultant to appeal against the decision. What is really important in the appeal process is that your doctor must state that all the recommended treatments have been tried and have failed in your case," the charity explained.

Members of the charity, including its chairperson, John Lindsay, spoke at a briefing session in Leinster House on February 15 about this issue.

Mr Lindsay criticised the manner in which Versatis was withdrawn and insisted that patients should have been left on the patch until the prescribing doctor deemed it clinically safe to stop using it.

"The manner in which the patches were withdrawn unjustly undermines the patient-doctor relationship and burdens the GP with the administration," the charity said.

The briefing was hosted by Senator Rose Conway-Walsh, who called for a review of the decision to withdraw Versatis.

"Not only has this decision caused suffering and anxiety for the patients directly affected, it has undermined the relationship between patients, consultants and GPs. The HSE issued no guidance to GPs in relation to helping patients off Versatis and identifying alternative effective treatments.

"The process of applying for continued access to the drug is now taking up 60-90 minutes of already overburdened GPs' time with no guarantee of a successful appeal," Senator Conway-Walsh noted.

A summary of the briefing will be sent to all members of both houses of the Oireachtas and a debate in the Seanad will take place on this issue on February 21. This debate will be attended by the Minister for Health, Simon Harris.