The case of a 39-year-old woman who died after taking to over-the-counter medicines has been raised in the Dáil.
Laura Newell died two weeks ago in Sligo University Hospital.
She had been taking taking painkillers containing codeine as she was suffering from undiagnosed endometriosis, Independent TD Marian Harkin said.
She died after complications following bowel surgery to deal with damage caused by painkillers, according to reports.
Ms Harkin told the Dáil the drugs were "legal and easy to obtain".
She said Ms Newell, a mother of two, had accessed the drugs online.
Ms Harkin called for a review of legislation covering the sale of products containing codeine, saying the issue of pain management was "woefully under-resourced".
In response, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said: "This is a very real problem", adding that Ms Newell's story "tells us something we all know - which is addiction can happen to anyone".
He added people who suffer from addiction needed help, should not be criminalised and needed to be given an alternative.
"Prescription drugs are a hidden addiction in Ireland. Sometimes its codeine, sometimes its benzos, sometimes its other drugs."
He said medicines with low doses of codeine were sold under supervision of a pharmacist.
Codeine was very easily available in the past but is now more tightly regulated, he added.
"Somebody looking for codeine, Nurofen Plus, Solpadine can't just buy it. They will be asked questions by the pharmacist," Mr Varadkar said.
Endometriosis advocate Kathleen King said, while she could not comment on a specific case, "those living with undiagnosed and untreated endometriosis often live with severe and debilitating pain, this can lead to self-medicating using over the counter medications."
Ms King added that endometriosis can lead to "unrelenting" pain which is not adequately managed by pain medication.
She said that women are often not believed about their symptoms, and where they are, their healthcare teams are often at a loss to help them manage their pain.
She said: "In Ireland, women with endometriosis face an average of 9-year delay in diagnosis. This is time spent relentlessly chasing appointments and symptom relief.
"The healthcare system needs to recognise women, it needs to acknowledge the effects of endometriosis."
