Alan Farrell
Ceist:235. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health his views on the shortage of staff for community pharmacies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47633/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 29 September 2022
Ceisteanna (235, 237)
Paul Murphy
Ceist:237. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health the actions his Department is taking to tackle the shortage of qualified staff in an industry (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the calls from the industry for more third level places and a reduction of needless paperwork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47658/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 and 237 together.
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), the pharmacy regulator, has been liaising with stakeholders, including the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), on efforts being taken within the sector to understand and address the issue.
This is a complex problem with many contributing factors and multiple stakeholders, with workforce challenges being experienced in other sectors nationally, and in the pharmacy sector in a range of other countries.
In February 2022, PSI met with a number of superintendent pharmacists and with the IPU. The PSI circulated a survey on behalf of the IPU to all registrants to support efforts to understand and address the issue in the short term with the fieldwork on the research undertaken between 22 March and 8 April 2022. The results of this have been finalised and a report generated, containing specific recommendations, and this has been drawn to the attention of my officials who are currently reviewing the content; they will continue to liaise with relevant stakeholders on this matter.
In developing its Corporate Strategy 2021-2023, the PSI was aware of reports of an increasing risk to the continued availability of a pharmacist workforce. 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.
As you will be aware there are currently three Schools of Pharmacy within universities in Ireland – TCD, RCSI and UCC who each provide an accredited five-year fully integrated Master’s degree programme in pharmacy (MPharm). 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.
A number of agencies and stakeholders are now beginning to review this topic holistically and consider the impact, role, responsibility and accountability from their own perspectives, and the contributions they might make to mitigate the issue. The Department is engaging both internally, and with external stakeholders, including the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology to fully assess the reported issue of shortages in the pharmacist workforce and to identify any necessary actions to be taken in the short, medium and longer term, and will continue to do so.
Pharmacy is a clinical service provided by highly qualified health care professionals within the community and hospital sectors. I continue to recognise the key role played and the very significant contribution made by this sector to patients and the public in responding to their health needs during the course of the pandemic. There is in any clinical service a requirement for the robust retention of data, both from a clinical and administrative perspective. My department has responsibility for the legislative framework for medicines, while other entities have requirements for other records. The department is committed to working on enablers to facilitate enhanced methodologies of data management including the Individual Health Identifier (IHI) and Shared Care Record as well as eHealth infrastructure. In Ireland, the HSE ePharmacy Programme has initiated the National e-Prescribing Project to plan, resource and implement e-Prescribing.
I will continue to engage as necessary with government colleagues, including with colleagues in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in addressing relevant issues as they arise.