Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 May 2022
424. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the steps that can be taken to ensure the greater availability of qualified pharmacists to work in retail pharmacies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21722/22]
View answerPharmacists wishing to practise in Ireland must be registered with the statutory regulator of pharmacists and pharmacies, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), which operates three routes of recognition/registration depending on where the pharmacy qualification has first been acquired – the national route, EU route and non-EU (third country qualification recognition - TCQR) route under established processes based in Irish and EU law.
The PSI is not involved in the recruitment of pharmacists. However, in the context of its function to regulate the profession of pharmacy in the State having regard to the need to protect, maintain and promote the health and safety of the public, the PSI is examining the topic of pharmacist workforce. The PSI is currently undertaking a project, due to run across 2022-’23, ‘Emerging Risks to the Future Pharmacy Workforce’. In 2022, this project is set to “assess emerging risks to the continued availability of a professional pharmacy workforce within community and hospital pharmacy in Ireland”. This is a complex problem with many contributing factors and multiple stakeholders, and the project will be taking a medium to long-term view of the matter. Workforce challenges are being experienced in other sectors nationally, and in the pharmacy sector in a range of other countries. However, robust data for Ireland is needed to be able to determine the current landscape, assess future health system needs and understand existing sectoral challenges now and into the future. It will be on the basis of gathering and analysing this up-to-date, robust and relevant data, that recommendations can be proposed to address Ireland’s needs for a pharmacist workforce in the future, as Ireland’s healthcare system evolves, and in the context of Sláintecare implementation.
The PSI has also recognised its non-EU route of registration is complex and is undertaking a process to review it with the aim of having an improved TCQR route in place for January 2023.
PSI has also been liaising with other stakeholders, including the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), on efforts being taken within the sector to understand and address the reported current acute workforce issue. In February 2022, PSI met with a number of superintendent pharmacists and the IPU. PSI circulated a survey on behalf of the latter to all registrants to support in efforts in understanding and addressing the issue in the short term, the results of which are pending. PSI has also indicated its willingness to participate in a stakeholder group being established by the IPU, and the Department understands PSI and IPU are due to meet about this in early May.
