Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I may have worded incorrectly a question I asked yesterday on existing pharmacists who lack the requisite qualifications. Section 14 requires that a pharmacist hold a qualification appropriate for his or her practice. I may have inadvertently claimed that hospital pharmacists are not qualified, which I certainly did not mean to imply, and I apologise for that mistake. I was trying to point out that the hospital and retail pharmacy sectors may employ people who have practised for many years and possess good records but who may hold different qualifications from modern pharmacists. How will such people be dealt with under the legislation? I presume they will be allowed to continue practising for as long as they wish. In her conclusion to yesterday's debate, the Minister acknowledged their role in the pharmaceutical trade.