Pharmacists are calling on Government to allow them to supply alternative products to patients without having to get approval from a GP.
It comes amid ongoing supply issues with various drugs.
Executive Committee member of the Irish Pharmacy Union Anne Marie Horan told Newstalk Breakfast they want to speed things up.
"We're currently experiencing shortages of some very common antibiotics, such as penicillin and amoxicillin," she said.
"These are all from the first line of defence against bacterial infections, and when a doctor has prescribed them it's important to start them as soon as possible.
"We're finding that an increasing amount of pharmacist time is now being spent in contacting prescribers, to seek a change of medication to products that are currently available.
"These medicines are often not reimbursed under the Community Drug Schemes, which can also lead to additional cost and stress".
'Suitable alternatives'
She said members want to be able to substitute without contacting a prescriber.
"We want pharmacists to be able to utilise their knowledge and their clinical skills to substitute products that are not interchangeable for a suitable alternative," she said.
"We're asking to be able to use our skills to supply alternative products without the need to contact a prescriber".
She said new stock of certain medicines will not be in place until the new year.
"Penicillin and amoxicillins would tend to be first line medicines - so I guess they're maybe the least strong and the easiest to take," she said.
"They've gone short, so a lot of the amoxicillins will not be back until somewhere between January and March - they're just not available.
"The good news is things like Strep A - a lot of antibiotics are effective against them.
"I suppose the really important thing is that the children start them in a timely manner, and that they don't have to wait until maybe the following day when the pharmacist has managed to contact the prescriber," she added.
