Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

I did not receive a proper reply to my question. In the case of a pharmacy being aware of a doctor's over-prescription of antibiotics, is the onus on the pharmacists to inform on the doctor? Am I correct to assume there is no link between pharmacists and the Medical Council, which regulates doctors? Whenever the issue of MRSA is raised in this House, the abuse of antibiotics is discussed. However, I do not discern any joined-up thinking in this regard. It is more than likely that a pharmacist would spot over-prescription of antibiotics sooner than anyone else by virtue of observing the number of patients coming from a particular doctor. What should a pharmacist do in such a scenario? Should a report be made to the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland or is a mechanism in place to make a direct report to the Medical Council, which governs the general practitioners concerned?