Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 200: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she has had discussions with the Irish Pharmaceutical Union in relation to allowing their members to give out prescriptive medicine without the need for a written prescription from a general practitioner; if discussions have taken place in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23671/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I have met with the Irish Pharmaceutical Union. Following consideration of the issue of prescribing by other health care professionals in my Department, it is considered that, apart from nurses under certain defined conditions and existing prescribers (doctors and dentists), the necessary regulatory regimes, in particular adequate fitness to practice regimes, are not in place at the present time to permit the extension of prescribing to registered pharmacists. I should also point out that the Government has accepted a recommendation of the Pharmacy Review Group that there should be no beneficial ownership or business interest of any kind between dispensing and prescribing. Pharmacist prescribing would make this recommendation unsustainable.