Ms Sharon Foley:

We think the post of chief pharmaceutical officer would bring a lot of that proactivity into the system. We would like somebody to be employed at a particular level. If you look at the CNO and the CMO, they are at a level where they are able to influence the Department of Health, which is particularly important. We have talked to all colleagues working as pharmacists or working in pharmaceutical care, including hospital pharmacists, industry, pharmacists in the HSE, the Department and universities. All of them have said there is a need for a chief pharmaceutical officer and a national strategy or action plan on pharmaceutical care. It will not happen just because we want it to happen. We raised it with the Minister last November and he certainly saw the need for greater concerted joined-up activity around pharmaceutical care, but I do not think the Department is in a place where it will appoint a chief pharmaceutical officer. A member of the committee referred to the length of time it took to get the chief health and social care professional officer. We hope it would not take that long. Members can see today from what my colleagues have said that there are a lot of quicks wins in the system, but equally there are many very significant challenges coming down the road around medicine shortages and the cost of medicines.

We need to work together and to develop concerted, joined-up activity to realise the value of community pharmacists. To bring the committee back to something one of our colleagues said, in 2026, which is only three years away, all pharmacists qualifying in the UK will be prescribers. That is where they are. Where we are is so far behind, we really need to get up to speed and get in line with our international colleagues.