Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

Pharmacy is unlike any other retail business. Patients are entitled to engage on a confidential basis with pharmacists.

I attended a recent meeting with Dr. Barry White, the new director of clinical care and quality at the HSE concerning the roll-out of new clinical care pathways. Some 24 clinicians, all leaders in their fields, have been appointed to roll out a new clinical care pathway through which things will be done differently in their respective fields. The money saved will be invested in new services. The clinicians are a fantastic bunch, some of the best in the country. Professor Peter Kelly in the Mater Hospital will lead on stroke, Professor Kieran Daly in Galway will lead on acute coronary syndromes and Professor Michael Turner, a former master of the Coombe, will lead on obstetrics so that we can have standardised care across the country.

There will also be clinical leads at general practice level because we badly need protocols for prescribing. As the House knows, 63% of prescriptions in the UK are for generic medicines. In Ireland, the comparable figures are 18% on the GMS and 12% on the drug payment scheme, DPS. There is no justification for the difference. Pharmacists should be involved because they are an under utilised resource in the health care system. They must be among the brightest in their classes to get into pharmacy school.