Jim O'Keeffe
Question:284 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health and Children the position in relation to the community pharmacy regulations and in particular the position of young pharmacists who qualify outside the country. [18012/02]
Adjournment Debate. - Community Pharmacy Regulations.
The Health (Community Pharmacy Contractor Agreement) Regulations, 1996, were revoked last January following advice from the Attorney General's office. This revocation has not affected the operation of community pharmacy contracts.
Under section 2 of the Pharmacy Act, 1962, the dispensing and compounding of medical prescriptions must be under the personal supervision of an "authorised person", as defined under subsection 2(3). EEC Council Directives 85/432/EEC, 85/433/EEC and 85/584/EEC provide for the mutual recognition of pharmacy qualifications for nationals of member states. The European Communities (Recognition of Qualifications in Pharmacy) Regulations, 1987 (S.I. No. 239 of 1987) and European Communities (Recognition of Qualifications in Pharmacy) Regulations, 1991 (S.I. No. 330 of 1991), which implemented the directives, amended the definition of an authorised person, to include the provision that a pharmacy in this State which has been in operation for less than three years shall not be managed or supervised by a pharmacist who qualified in another EC member state. However, the regulations do not preclude such pharmacists from working in a pharmacy which is less than three years old, other than as a supervising pharmacist.
The Pharmacy Review Group, established to examine the pharmacy issues raised in the OECD report on regulatory reform in Ireland, has been asked to assess and respond to the recommendations contained in that report on the current restrictions on pharmacists educated in other EU countries.