Pharmacists will be able to prescribe prescription-only medications to the public for common conditions under a plan to expand the profession’s role in providing healthcare.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly on Tuesday published the final report of the expert taskforce to support the expansion of the role of pharmacy.
The move is with a view to reducing pressure on GPs and moving to more care in the community, as outlined under the Sláintecare health reform strategy.
The report recommends that pharmacists should be able to prescribe for a range of eight common conditions – allergic rhinitis (inflammation of the inside of the nose), cold sores, conjunctivitis, impetigo (a contagious skin condition), oral thrush, shingles, uncomplicated urinary tract infections and vulvovaginal thrush, which is a genital fungal infection.
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Mr Donnelly said he intends to have the common conditions scheme in place by “early next year”. An indicative timeline attached to the taskforce report also states the kind of prescriptions provided by pharmacists will be expanded to other conditions in primary and secondary care in 2027.
“What we are announcing represents an important change. The move will also alleviate pressure on GPs. The service will be scaled-up over time, but we will start with these conditions,” he said.
A number of countries have initiated prescribing by pharmacists including England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Canada and New Zealand.
Interim Chief Medical Officer Prof Mary Horgan said having “timely, accessible and affordable healthcare for all is crucial for population health”.
“Expanding the scope of practice of pharmacists, including enabling them to prescribe for certain common conditions, will enhance the delivery of patient-centred care,” she added.
Dr Pat O’Mahony, chair of the expert taskforce, said the group also recommended the establishment of a chief pharmaceutical office role within the Department of Health.
“We have so many important areas that a chief pharmacist is required to deliver. Again, specifical in relation to our own work, we’ve looked at systems abroad that are operating and developing well on pharmacists prescribing and they have a chief pharmacist at policy level,” he added.
The final report comes after the Minister last November accepted the taskforce’s recommendation on extending prescriptions, a measure which was implemented March last.
From September 1st, pharmacists can extend the validity of prescriptions from the current maximum period of six months to 12 months.
The Irish Pharmacy Union welcomed the recommendations of the report, but Tom Murray, president of the union, said he now expects engagement with the Department on the outstanding pay claim
“The IPU would recommend to members not to implement any new services until there was progress in respect of the pay claim,” he added.
“Community Pharmacists are effectively being paid less than they were in 2009 and the notion of layering on new schemes to an already underfunded and resourced group of healthcare professionals would not be credible, tenable or acceptable.”
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