Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The PSI recently approved rules that will restrict the work practices of pharmaceutical assistants. Under existing codes of practice, pharmaceutical assistants are entitled to cover short absences such as lunch hours. They can cover two half-days or one full day per week, as well as any unscheduled short absences. In the case of a temporary absence resulting from the holiday entitlements of a pharmacist, the assistant is entitled to cover two working weeks per annum. As we know, this system has worked very well for the past 128 years. Even though these practices have been in place for a very long time, it is proposed to limit pharmaceutical assistants to covering temporary absences of one hour each day. If the new rules are signed into law, a pharmaceutical assistant will no longer be able to provide professional cover for a pharmacist on his or her day off. The effect of the implementation of these changes would be to diminish the role of pharmaceutical assistants. It could also jeopardise the provision of pharmacy services around the country, especially in parts of rural Ireland.

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