Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Minister has said many times that he recognises the role community pharmacists play in the delivery of patient care and the potential for this role to be developed further in the context of health service reform and modernisation. Recognising that critical role, the Minister is committed to root-and-branch review of the pharmacy contract in 2020. Notwithstanding this commitment, any publicly funded pharmacy service expansion should address unmet public health needs, improve access to existing public health services or provide better value for money in terms of patient outcomes. Accordingly, the decision to provide such services should be evidence-based and I hope Deputy Calleary would agree with that.

The regulation governing the current pharmacy fee structure was made under section 9 of the Financial Emergency Measures in Public Interests Act 2009 and was set to expire at the end of this year. Under the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017, these regulations must be replaced on 1 January 2020 to maintain the statutory basis for contractor payments and to prescribe the fees available from that date. The fees to be set are determined by the Minister for Health with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. In keeping with obligations under section 43 of the 2017 Act, Department of Health officials have begun a process of consultation with the Irish Pharmacy Union as the representative body prior to the introduction of a new fee regulation. Department officials have met with the Irish Pharmacy Union delegation on two occasions and a detailed submission was received from the Irish Pharmacy Union on 8 November. This submission is being considered by the Department in the context of the statutory fee-setting process to which I have just referred. I have just been given a note to say that the Minister for Health is due to meet the Irish Pharmacy Union in the coming weeks to try to finalise those arrangements.

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