MINISTER FOR Health Mary Harney has removed the rule preventing non-Irish qualified pharmacists from owning, operating or managing pharmacies which are less than three years old.
The Minister signed the commencement order last Friday to bring into effect sections of the Pharmacy Act 2007 dealing with the registration of pharmacists and retail pharmacy businesses.
The Department of Health said that in addition to removing the "derogation" preventing non-Irish-qualified pharmacists from owning, operating or managing new pharmacies, the new provisions provided a modern and robust regulatory regime.
It said that this included "new registration requirements relating to the linguistic and forensic competence of pharmacists, and new requirements relating to the personal control and supervision of the activities of pharmacists within retail pharmacy businesses".
"The Commencement Order, signed by the Minister today, enables these provisions to commence immediately and also includes the repeal of previous pharmacy legislation dating from 1875 to 1962," it stated.
In May 2007, Ms Harney introduced the first stage of the pharmacy reform process when she dissolved the old Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (established in 1875), the pharmacy regulator, and established a new society and appointed its council.
The Department of Health hopes that the third, and remaining, stage of the commencement process, dealing with issues such as the introduction of a fitness to practise regime for pharmacists and pharmacy businesses and the prohibition of certain economic and business relationships between pharmacists or pharmacies and doctors may take place in the first half of next year.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) yesterday welcomed the commencement by the Minister of the second phase of the legislation.
PSI registrar Dr Ambrose McLoughlin said: "The registration of retail pharmacy businesses in particular marks a new departure for the pharmacy sector in Ireland and will ensure patient safety and public protection through the maintenance of high standards of practice.
Dr McLaughlin said the new code would put the "health, wellbeing, care and safety of the patient as a pharmacist's primary concern".
