Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 September 2018
373. Deputy Michael Harty asked the Minister for Health his plans to amend the Pharmacy Act 2007 to incorporate pharmaceutical assistants, PAs, into mandatory continuing professional development, CPD, and fitness-to-practice regulations to allow them to cover for temporary or unscheduled short absences by pharmacists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36993/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pharmacy Act 2007 is based on the premise that patients and members of the public expect that a pharmacist will be available and working within a pharmacy when they visit to have medicines dispensed or to obtain advice on a health matter. The Act provides a robust framework of public safety assurance by requiring that the pharmacist is subject to mandatory CPD, Fitness to Practice, a Code of Conduct and a Core Competency Framework
A clinical governance framework governing the operation of registered Retail Pharmacy Businesses is created by Sections 26, 27, 28 and 29 of the Pharmacy Act 2007, and Regulations made under Section 18 of the Act further elucidate the specific responsibilities of the pharmacy owner, the superintendent pharmacist, the supervising pharmacist and the registered pharmacist.
Under the Pharmacy Act 2007, the sale and supply of medicinal products must be carried out by or under the personal supervision of a registered pharmacist at all times. Section 30 of the Act allows however for an exceptional circumstance where a registered pharmaceutical assistant may act on behalf of a registered pharmacist during the temporary absence of the registered pharmacist.
Section 30 also permits the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) to make rules as to:
1. What may or may not be done by a registered pharmaceutical assistant when acting on behalf of a registered pharmacist; and
2. What constitutes the temporary absence of a registered pharmacist.
In June, the Council of the Society approved for issuance for public consultation the proposed draft Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Temporary Absence of Pharmacist from Pharmacy) Rules 2018. This public consultation commenced on 17 July and ran until 14 August and afforded any interested party the opportunity to make representations on the matter directly to the PSI.
Following completion of the public consultation phase, I understand that the Council of the PSI will consider the proposed draft Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Temporary Absence of Pharmacist from Pharmacy) Rules 2018 at its next meeting scheduled on the 20th September 2018. The results of the public consultation undertaken in this regard will be available to the Council. In circumstances where the Council approve these draft rules (with/without amendment), these will then be forwarded to me for my consideration and consent in line with requirements of Section 30 of the Act.
The Pharmacy Act 2007 does not currently make provision for mandatory CPD for registered Pharmaceutical Assistants, or for application of the Fitness to Practice framework as specified in Part 6 of the Act; these two criteria are distinct and separate from the registered pharmaceutical assistant being in a position to act in the temporary absence of the pharmacist.
