Vital reforms in healthcare are being delayed by the Department of Health’s failure to appoint a chief pharmacist, according to representatives of community pharmacists.
The position has been vacant for almost a year after the former chief pharmacist, Marita Kinsella, was appointed as registrar and chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), the regulator of pharmacy, last October.
The Public Appointments Service ran a competition at the end of 2013 to replace Kinsella, but no suitable candidates were identified at that time.
The department says it remains unable to fill the post.
As chief pharmacist, Kinsella was responsible for policy and legislation relating to the regulation of medicines, medical devices, cosmetics, narcotics and psychotropic substances, as well as policy and legislation regulating pharmacists and pharmacies. She also chaired the EU Council working party on pharmaceuticals and medical devices during the Irish presidency of the EU.
Healthcare provision
New legislation allowing pharmacists to substitute prescribed medicines with approved generic substitutes came into effect last summer, and pharmacists continue to lobby to increase their role in healthcare provision.
In the interim, two pharmacists at assistant principal level are being recruited by the Department of Health to undertake the duties of the chief pharmacist until a suitable candidate is identified, a Department of Health spokesperson told The Irish Times.
It is anticipated they will take up their positions next month.
The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), which represents community pharmacists, wrote a letter, which has been seen by The Irish Times, in June to Dr Ambrose McLoughlin, the secretary general of the department and a former registrar and chief executive of the PSI, to express its concern at the department's recent decision not to appoint a chief pharmacist.
The IPU pointed out that there has been only one meeting of the Medication Safety Forum since the departure of the previous chief pharmacist.
“In addition, notwithstanding the excellent work being carried out by an over-stretched medicines unit, the lack of a chief pharmacist has led to delays in the long-awaited revised misuse of drugs regulations and in the transposition of the two parts of the Cross Border Healthcare and Patients’ Rights Directive which facilitate a system for recognition of prescriptions from other EU member states.”
Directives
The letter from Darragh J O’Loughlin, the secretary general of the IPU, stated that “there are also a number of other important directives on the way which require a chief pharmacist’s input, including, for example, the Falsified Medicines (Medicines Authentication and Use of Common Internet Logo) Directive and the Medical Devices Directive.”
He urged Dr McLoughlin to reconsider the department’s position and to seek to engage a chief pharmaceutical officer or a chief pharmacist, with an appropriate salary scale and contract, as a matter of urgency.
A spokesperson for the Hospital Pharmacy Association of Ireland (HPAI) said the body was “very concerned that there has not been a chief pharmacist at the Department of Health for some time”.
“It is even more concerning that a decision has been taken to downgrade the role.
“The role of the chief pharmacist at the Department of Health around legislation is essential and should continue.
“However, pharmacy in the Department of Health needs to be further supported to reflect the wide spectrum of pharmacy practice (eg hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy, industry, academia).”
Despite fears by the IPU and HPAI that the department has now decided not to appoint a chief pharmacist, and is downgrading the role by appointing two assistant principals, the Department of Health spokesperson insisted that it still hopes to appoint a chief pharmacist, on the same salary scale as the former post holder.