Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 March 2004
395 Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health and Children the action he is prepared to take to ensure the continuation of the traditional pharmacist-owned pharmacy services in this country in view of the finding of the recently published pharmacy review group report that these types of pharmacies, which are the backbone of pharmacy services in this country, could disappear in a deregulated market. [8872/04]
View answerAs Minister for Health and Children, my responsibilities centre on the provision of a high quality health service and this includes ensuring, in so far as possible, that adequate and accessible pharmacy services are generally available. I established the pharmacy review group in November 2001 to examine the pharmacy issues raised in the OECD report on regulatory reform in Ireland. The review group was asked principally to assess the existing statutory restrictions on entry to the community pharmacy sector, and to put forward options to address these issues. The group's report is available on my Department's website, www.doh.ie, along with reports prepared for the group by Indecon International Economic Consultants.
The opening and operation of retail pharmacies in Ireland is governed by the Pharmacy Acts, 1875 to 1977, subject to restrictions imposed by non-pharmacy legislation such as the planning Act. Pharmacies have not been exclusively pharmacist controlled since 1890. Any individual or company who satisfies the legal requirements, principally that the shop and the dispensing and compounding of medical prescriptions are personally supervised by a full-time pharmacist who is not acting elsewhere in a similar capacity, can open a pharmacy in Ireland.
I have been examining the complex legal and other issues surrounding the group's recommendations. The Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the report's recommendations before completion of this examination. However, the Deputy should note that the review group made only one proposal on restrictions on pharmacy ownership, which was in respect of beneficial ownership or business interests between dispensing and prescribing.
