Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I agree with what she said about the need to maximise capacity and the strong relationship between the customer, or sometimes the patient, and the pharmacist. We normally return to the same pharmacy, especially in smaller communities. What we are referring to in the Bill currently are what we call common conditions, including some of those the Deputy referred to, such as blood pressure, weight management and things like that. Regarding chronic illnesses, this states, "The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on expanding the role of pharmacists in chronic disease management." The pharmacy taskforce has been considering common conditions and chronic illnesses. Its deliberations are still under way.

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