Vol. 576 No. 5
327 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Health and Children the reasons a medical prescription issued by a Saudi Arabian doctor could not be filled at pharmacies here except at the pharmacist's discretion; and if it is illegal to fill a prescription unless an Irish doctor, or a doctor at an Irish, or possibly EU practice, issued the prescription. [29735/03]
For the purpose of dispensing medical prescriptions must be issued by a doctor whose name is in the register of medical practitioners kept by the Medical Council under the Medical Practitioners Act 1978. A pharmacist may also dispense a medical prescription issued by a practitioner of equivalent status practising in another EU or EEA member state. In all cases pharmacists must be satisfied with the authenticity of the prescriptions they dispense and that they have been issued by registered practitioners. There are no provisions for dispensing prescriptions issued by medical practitioners who are not registered in the EU or EEA.
