Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his questions. Further to the discussion we had last night during Private Members' business, the Deputy may have stepped out of the Chamber when I stated that the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, had taken on board the comments raised at previous meetings related to this Bill. The Government is in the process of finalising a further amendment to facilitate pharmacists prescribing. It will be introduced on Report Stage to be included in this Bill. That addresses the point the Deputy raised last night and just now. This will take the form of a further amendment that can be discussed on Report Stage. It will be very welcome because by enabling pharmacists to prescribe, we will open doors for the healthcare service and empower pharmacists to leverage their unique expertise, take on expanded roles in patient care and play a more integral role in healthcare terms.

The implementation of this amendment to introduce prescribing hinges on several key enablers, including education, training, guidance from our regulators and any additional necessary support systems. These foundation elements will be put firmly in place as part of the introduction of pharmacists prescribing. Behind every prescription, medication and healthcare decision, there is a patient, a person in need. This change is very welcome.

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