Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 November 2022
546. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to an issue with the number of pharmacies that do not employ any full-time pharmacists, and are thus solely reliant on locums, which is pushing up demand for casual work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56358/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) is the statutory agency responsible for the registration and regulation of pharmacies and pharmacists in the State. The PSI maintains the Registers of Pharmacists and Pharmacies, as part of its remit and in the interest of public health and safety.
The PSI has been keeping my Department updated on reported workforce issues. Through the PSI’s work and engagement with registrants and wider stakeholders, the PSI is aware of apparent acute workforce issues, particularly in relation to community pharmacy. The existing workforce challenges are there, despite the fact that there are increasing numbers of registered pharmacists joining the Register. As of 11 November 2022, there were 7,020 pharmacists registered to practise in Ireland. This is the largest number on the pharmacist register in Ireland to date (the number at the end of 2021 was 6,845). As of 1 November 2022 there were 1,980 pharmacies registered with the PSI. The majority of these are pharmacies in community settings.
The Pharmacy Act 2007 established the current governance requirements for pharmacies – this includes the roles known as superintendent pharmacist and supervising pharmacist, each with a distinct role and responsibility within a pharmacy. Each registered pharmacy is required to have both a named supervising and superintendent pharmacist in place. The superintendent pharmacist, who must have a minimum of three years post-registration experience, is responsible for the overall professional policy and clinical management of a pharmacy. A pharmacy may only legally be open if there is a registered pharmacist present on the premises.
Reports to the PSI indicate that there has been an increase in the number of pharmacists choosing to work in a locum, rather than full-time employment, capacity. This has a knock-on impact on pharmacist vacancies, and potentially on continuity and consistency of service. That said, there are roles and responsibilities that apply to all pharmacists in patient-facing roles, regardless of employment status. The PSI wrote to pharmacist registrants in July this year highlighting key professional considerations for all pharmacists in the current environment and noting the increased numbers of pharmacists operating as locums.
The PSI has also been liaising with other stakeholders, including the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), on efforts being taken within the sector to understand and address this current problem. In June of this year, pharmacists were added to the Critical Skills Occupations List by the Minister of State for Business Employment and Retail.
The PSI is not involved in the recruitment of pharmacists, but as the regulator has committed to examining the topic of the pharmacist workforce to support the pharmacy sector in contributing in the development of an integrated healthcare system. It is aware through its work and through reports from stakeholders, of an increasing risk to the continued availability of a pharmacist workforce, with the concern being that the issue may be exacerbated into the future. In response, the PSI is undertaking a project examining ‘Emerging Risks to the Future Pharmacy Workforce’. This is a complex problem with many contributing factors, and multiple stakeholders, and the PSI project is taking a medium to long-term view of the matter. Workforce challenges are being experienced in other sectors nationally, and in the pharmacy sector in a range of other countries. The aim of the project is to gather robust data for Ireland, as this 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 for a pharmacist workforce in the future, as Ireland’s healthcare system evolves, and in the context of Sláintecare implementation.
My officials will continue to liaise with PSI on developments relating to this important issue.
