Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 367: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason the adjudication route for foreign nationals with pharmaceutical qualifications was suspended on October 2001 in relation to the Pharmacy Act 1962; the person whose advice the adjudication route was suspended; if a copy of this advice will be made available; the reason the application of a person (details supplied) was not considered, in view of the fact that they submitted the application in September 2001; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33383/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, PSI, is the statutory body with responsibility for the registration of pharmacists in Ireland. The PSI operates a number of routes for registration depending on where the qualification in pharmacy was obtained, including the adjudication route. The PSI informs me that its records state that it suspended the Adjudicating Route of Registration in October 2001, to undertake a complete review of the Route's operation and procedures. The Society further informs me it had experienced difficulties in the operation of the Adjudicating Route of Registration for persons holding qualifications in pharmacy obtained outside of the EU/EEA. The PSI says that with regard to the operation of the Route, the matters of concern to the then Registrar and Council were the robustness of processes used at the time to assess the equivalence of pharmacy qualifications, and the fairness and proportionality of the existing procedures.

The review of the Adjudicating Route was undertaken, and in March 2003 the Society submitted a proposal to the Department of Health & Children for amended Regulations, to give effect to a new proposed Adjudicating Route process of registration. It was not possible under existing legislation to implement the Adjudicating Route procedure proposed by the Society and consequently, since that time, the Society has been unable to register persons holding non-EU/EEA qualifications in pharmacy. It is the view of the Council of the Society that a route of registration for persons holding non-EU pharmacy qualifications must be urgently put in place in Irish law. The proposals contained in the new Pharmacy Bill dealing with registration will put in place a registration regime that will allow for the recognition of qualifications in pharmacy, be they Irish, EU-EEA or non-EU\EEA.

The Society informs me that persons who had submitted documents or expressed an interest in the Adjudicating Route of Registration during 2001 were informed in October 2001 of the Council's decision to suspend the Adjudicating Route of Registration, pending a review of its operation. With regard to the person whose details are supplied, the Society is checking its records to confirm the exact details in respect of the application made in September 2001. The Society is reluctant to discuss the detail of individual cases other than with the applicant directly, but will contact the individual in question to confirm the details.

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 368: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the relationship her Department has with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland; the persons who this society is answerable to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33384/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, PSI, is an independent statutory body with responsibility for the regulation of pharmacists in Ireland. The Department has a good working relationship with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland.