Minister for Health announces public consultation on expansion of pharmacy
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 16 May 2024
- Last updated on: 23 September 2024
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly today launched a public consultation to help inform the expansion of the role of pharmacists.
Views are being sought on:
- expansion of the role of pharmacists
- expansion of pharmacy services offered to the public
- interaction of pharmacy services with the healthcare service
The consultation follows the Minister’s establishment last July of an Expert Taskforce to support the expansion of the role of pharmacists in Ireland. The Taskforce is currently examining the potential expansion of pharmacy services under a Common Conditions Scheme. This would allow pharmacists to prescribe medications for certain uncomplicated common conditions.
Via an online survey, this public consultation seeks the views and opinions of Irish registered medical practitioners, health and social care professionals, organisations and members of the public. The Pharmacy Taskforce hopes to get a wider understanding of professional and public views on expanding the role of pharmacists working in hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy and additional areas such as GP practices.
Minister Donnelly said:
“I’m delighted to launch this public consultation today, and I want to encourage as many people and organisations as possible to participate. I want to hear a range of views from healthcare professionals and the public to inform our approach as we work to expand the role of pharmacy in Ireland.”
Chair of the Expert Taskforce Dr Pat O’Mahony said:
“From the beginning of our journey in the Taskforce, the Patient and Public Sub-Committee made up of patient advocates and healthcare professionals have brought an important perspective to our work. We want to hear from anyone interested in the role of pharmacists. I encourage everyone to do this survey and take part in this public consultation so that we can gather and consider a wide range of views.”
Notes
The Public Consultation survey will be open from Thursday 16 May 2024 to Friday 28 June 2024, allowing six weeks for organisations and individuals to give their views.
The link to the Public Consultation survey is: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/PharmacyConsultationEnglish
Under a Common Conditions Scheme, pharmacists would be able to prescribe and supply some prescription-only medicines for uncomplicated conditions, that can be diagnosed and managed without intervention from a Doctor / GP. In other countries, examples of these common conditions include sore throat, uncomplicated urinary tract infections, and common skin conditions such as impetigo.
On 24 July 2023, the Minister for Health established an Expert Taskforce to support the expansion of the role of pharmacists in Ireland. This Pharmacy Taskforce is made up of 13 members including current and former members of The Health Products Regulatory Authority, the Health Service Executive, Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland’s, the Department of Health and other stakeholder organisations. Each member brings the specific expertise, perspective and competence to provide a holistic overview of the actions required to optimise the expansion of health service provision through pharmacy and pharmacists. Access more information about the Pharmacy Taskforce.
On 1 March 2024, the first recommendation of the Pharmacy Taskforce, approved by the Minister for Health, was enacted. This change means that prescribers can now write prescriptions for patients that are valid for up to 12 months. And from September, patients can ask their pharmacists to extend prescriptions from 6 months to a maximum of 12 months, if they have a prescription dated 1 March 2024, or later. Get more information about these changes.
This Public Consultation is part of the work to develop additional recommendations that could expand health service provision through pharmacy and pharmacists.