Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
2039. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Health the issues pertaining to the sourcing of community pharmacists; the standards that apply for retaining same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41867/22]
View answerPharmacists wishing to practise in Ireland must be registered with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI – the Pharmacy Regulator). The number of registered pharmacists on the Register of Pharmacists held and maintained by the PSI has continued to grow steadily, with an average increase of 187 registrants each year over the past five years. As at 4 May 2022, 6848 pharmacists are currently registered with the PSI, under established processes based in Irish and EU law.
I understand that currently there are reports of a current workforce issue, particularly in relation to community pharmacy. The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) has been liaising with stakeholders, including the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), on efforts being taken within the sector to understand and address the issue. In February 2022, PSI met with a number of superintendent pharmacists and the IPU. The PSI also circulated a survey on behalf of the IPU to all registrants to support efforts to understand and address the issue in the short term. The fieldwork on the research was undertaken online by the IPU between 22 March and 8 April 2022. The results of which have just been finalised and recommendations have been prepared by the IPU based on their findings. The report is currently under review by the Department of Health who will continue to liaise with relevant stakeholders on this matter.
In developing its Corporate Strategy 2021-2023, the PSI was aware, through its role as the pharmacy regulator as well as through reports from stakeholders, of an increasing risk to the continued availability of a pharmacist workforce. This highlighted a need to focus on community and hospital pharmacy, with a concern being that the issue might be exacerbated into the future. The PSI are currently undertaking a project, due to run across 2022-’23, titled ‘Emerging Risks to the Future Pharmacy Workforce’. This project is set to “assess emerging risks to the continued availability of a professional pharmacy workforce within community and hospital pharmacy in Ireland”.
The European Commission is also currently supporting a health and social care workforce planning strategy and action plan, a health and social care workforce planning model, health and social care workforce projections and gap analysis project. Support includes recommendations for health and social care workforce reforms.
This is a complex problem with many contributing factors and multiple stakeholders. Workforce challenges are being experienced in other sectors nationally, and in the community 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 as our healthcare system evolves, and in the context of Sláintecare implementation.
