Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 6, between lines 36 and 37, to insert the following:

"(iii) registered pharmacists, who are members of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland,".

On Committee Stage on Tuesday, Senator Minihan informed the House that pharmacists in the North will shortly be allowed to prescribe certain drugs over the counter. This amendment recognises such a provision and empowers the Irish Medicines Board to extend the option of writing prescriptions to pharmacists and other paramedical staff, either those employed by the State or the Health Service Executive.

For example, the Dublin Fire Brigade comes under the remit of the local Health Service Executive area, which is different from the rest of the country. The sudden cardiac death report will be published presently. It will have implications for many local authorities where some fire officers will be pushing to have defibrillators on board fire engines for their own safety and that of accident victims.

I am not suggesting that pharmacists and paramedics should immediately have the option to write prescriptions. However, such a scenario is inevitable. It will be impossible to patrol it if pharmacists on one side of the Border can write prescriptions, while those a few miles on the other side cannot. The provision must be inserted into the Bill now rather than at a later date. This will allow the board to include pharmacists and other paramedics at a future date.