HYPEREMESIS GRAVIDARUM IS an illness that can have a debilitating effect on pregnant women, causing constant nausea and vomiting.

People suffering from HG have been calling for years for the drug Cariban, which tackles the symptoms, to be more easily available and affordable. The government agreed to allow access to the drug via a reimbursement scheme, so that it would not cost patients up to €3,000 to access it.

However, the scheme has been criticised for the fact that it requires pregnant women to firstly get a prescription from a consultant before they can access the drug. That move has been criticised by the Irish Pharmacy Union and by some consultants themselves.

To talk us through what hyperemesis is and its considerable impact on people, what the drug Cariban does and what the scheme involves, this week our political correspondent Christina Finn joins presenter Sinéad O’Carroll.

Listen to The Explainer

The Explainer / SoundCloud

This episode was put together by presenter Laura Byrne, producers Aoife Barry and Nicky Ryan and executive producer Sinéad O’Carroll. 

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