Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 June 2022
396. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the severe shortage of pharmacists and the difficulty in sourcing locums; the reason for this situation; the steps that are being taken to address the matter, including increasing the number of training places available. [28736/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraPharmacists 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 acute 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 in efforts in understanding and addressing the issue in the short term, the results of which are pending. I understand that the IPU is seeking to establish a stakeholder group to examine the issue.
In developing its Corporate Strategy 2021-2023, PSI was aware through its work and through reports from stakeholders, of an increasing risk to the continued availability of a pharmacist workforce, with a focus on community and hospital pharmacy, with a concern being that the issue might be exacerbated into the future. It 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”.
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.
In relation to the number of training places available for persons wishing to obtain the qualification to practise as a pharmacist, the pharmacist qualification is a PSI-accredited five-year fully integrated Master’s degree programme in pharmacy (MPharm). There are three Schools of Pharmacy within universities in Ireland – TCD, RCSI and UCC. On successful completion of the five-year programme, graduates are then eligible to apply to the PSI for registration through the National Route of registration. As part of their Emerging Risks to the Future Pharmacy Workforce project, PSI have committed to share any relevant data emerging as part of that project with relevant Government departments, along with relevant first-time registration data with the relevant Government departments, particularly if trends are identified that indicate a future deficit.
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 Ireland’s healthcare system evolves, and in the context of Sláintecare implementation.
