Vol. 449 No. 1
86 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Health the role of the Irish Pharmaceutical Union in relation to determining who may and may not operate a pharmacy within the confines of the State; and if his attention has been drawn to the restrictive practices in relation to the establishment of limited companies by entrepreneurs when opening pharmacies in Ireland. [3319/95]
The Irish Pharmaceutical Union has no role in determining who may or may not operate a pharmacy in the State.
Current legislation allows a limited company to operate a retail pharmacy provided that the pharmacy and the dispensing and compounding of medical prescriptions and the sale of poisons in the pharmacy is supervised by a qualified pharmacist.
I am not aware of any restrictive practices such as the Deputy suggests.
