Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss the role community pharmacies could have as key players in providing healthcare to our communities. We are all aware of the pressures experienced by many GPs across the country. GPs are oversubscribed, we do not have enough GPs and people cannot get added to a GP list. We are well aware of this issue in many parts of the country, including in my own county of Monaghan, where many young people who moved back from college or whatever are finding it difficult or impossible to get a GP. Unfortunately, the age cohort of our GPs is also increasing. In emergency departments, people often have to wait long times for treatment. In many cases, both GPs and patients could be seen safely and more suitably elsewhere, according to many pharmacists. I welcome plans to increase the number of places in medical colleges and more doctors in our hospitals and in our GP service overall, which are essential. However, we still need to examine how to reduce the pressure here and now. We must use all our resources to help in that regard. Expanding the role and having a conversation about how to expand the role of community pharmacies is key to that. International evidence shows that minor ailment schemes now being pushed forward by community pharmacists are effective in providing accessible and timely care at the lowest level of complexity, which is the key point. They allow for access to community pharmacy services for all patients and help free up capacity in primary and secondary care for more complex cases.

A recent survey by the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine in the UK estimated that one in every seven GP consultations and one out of every 12 accident and emergency attendees could have been dealt with by a visit to a pharmacist. There is no reason the story would be any different here. Freeing up capacity in primary and secondary care by directing people to a pharmacy first is an important step to delivering on the objectives of Sláintecare. A minor ailment scheme would demonstrate Government commitment to enhancing public health access, delivering quality patient care and improving health outcomes. Pharmacists, medical experts and community pharmacies are already a natural first point of call for minor injuries and advice. As the Minister of State knows, pharmacies are located in towns and villages across the country and many of them offer a seven-day service. They have the experience and commitment to build on our current services. More should be done to help alleviate the pressure on GPs. I look forward to the Minister of State's response.