Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

No one would ever accuse Deputy Finian McGrath of not being proactive in respect of ideas. There is everything to recommend a scheme. Basically, who do people trust more and what is the door through which they most commonly go if feeling a little bit under the weather? It is the door of the pharmacy. People usually know them and they usually know everyone in their own community. They usually have been there for a long number of years and are embedded in their own community. As for encouraging patients to self-treat minor injuries, they do from time to time, as well as using the pharmacy as a first point of call for health advice. While such advice may well be that one needs to visit one's GP or perhaps that one must attend the local accident and emergency unit, nevertheless, it is there, it is available and they are trusted. It is as simple as that. Most of us use the pharmacy far more than we imagine and were one to outline the things about which we go there to seek advice, I believe the list would be quite extensive.

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