Fine Gael has called on the Government to require stimulant pills that are freely available over the counter to be registered with the Irish Medicines Board (IMB).
The pills, which are not banned here, often contain a substance known as benzylpiperazine (BZP) and can have similar effects to prohibited drugs such as ecstasy and cocaine if taken in sufficient quantities.
It is believed that increasing numbers of young Irish people are choosing to take pills containing BZP recreationally, as a legal alternative to drugs such as amphetamine, methamphetamine and MDMA. However, BZP can have more side effects than amphetamines.
Dr Liam Twomey TD, Fine Gael's spokesman on health, said a problem with any stimulant was that it could also have an adverse addictive effect.
Registering such pills with the IMB would mean issues such as their concentration, strength and safety would have to be cleared by the board before they could be sold.
"As a legislator, my attitude is that if these things are supposed to be available, then they should be registered with the medicines board," he said. "I think the Government is totally underestimating the potential for these things to cause difficulties.
BZP is not a scheduled substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act. However, it has been illegal to buy, sell, or possess it in the US without a Drug Enforcement Agency licence since 2002.
Taken orally at doses of 70-150mg, the effects of BZP usually last for six to eight hours.
"There is no point in saying we're going to talk about it for three or four years...we are going to see more and more of these types of drugs on the market," Dr Twomey said.