Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have loads of examples of continuity of care within the pharmacy sector. In the high tech scheme, for example, there is a patient care fee every month where the patient is assigned to a pharmacy at the point of prescription by a consultant and goes to that same pharmacy every month. There is a mechanism for people to engage on a continuous basis with their community pharmacist even if they are not having a dispensing of a particular item so there is a precedent there for the continuity of care. We have had many meetings in here where we have had GPs explain to us the huge pressures on their surgeries and tell us they are not able to cope with the demand. If we are moving into the implementation of Sláintecare, expanding the role of pharmacists and practice nurses and changing the role of GPs in the delivery of care, surely this is a logical first step. Mr. Conlon has not given me any logical reason to help me understand why this is not being rolled out in community pharmacy, other than referring to people's views. I am talking about oral contraceptive pills and barrier contraceptives.