James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

What role does the Minister see for community pharmacists? Does she agree with the basic tenet that I and Fine Gael have been promoting through our fair care policy, which is that patients should be treated at the lowest level of complexity that is safe, timely and efficient?

We are not using the full scope of the primary care team. There are 800 pharmacists trained in the administration of vaccines. There is a role for pharmacists in the treatment of minor illnesses, as the Minister already mentioned, along with health promotion and screening. What specific proposals have been made, and what has arisen from the discussions to date?

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