Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 September 2019
348. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health when he will examine extending pharmacy services in view of the fact a commitment given in the programme for partnership Government to extend pharmacy services which was reiterated by him in May 2019 has not been delivered to date. [37071/19]
View answerThe Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to expand the role of community pharmacy in managing patient health, and this is an issue I intend to progress.
Work has been done in recent years on wider healthcare roles for pharmacies, including the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland’s Future Pharmacy report, concerning expansion of professional pharmacy practice. It is clear from this and other work that there is potential to increase the range of both private and publicly funded health services delivered through community pharmacy. Important new services, in influenza vaccination and emergency contraception, have already been introduced.
To be funded by the taxpayer, new public health services in community pharmacy, as elsewhere, should improve health outcomes and provide value for money and benefits for patients. Any new or transferred services should be based on sound evidence, with matching improvements in governance and administration.
I met with the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) earlier this year and I attended their conference in Galway and these and other issues were discussed in both forums. It is my intention that further consultation will be carried out in 2019.
