Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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40. To ask the Minister for Health his views on removing the right of pharmacists to have a conscientious objection to providing Norlevo or the morning after pill; if he believes this is a barrier to access; if his attention has been drawn to the number of the pharmacists that do not sell Norlevo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20778/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Since 2011, a number of levonorgestrel products, including Norlevo, have been reclassified from ‘prescription only’ to ‘pharmacy only’ supply for use as emergency contraception.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland is the statutory body responsible for the regulation of the practice and profession of pharmacists, and the operation of pharmacies, in Ireland in the interest of the health, safety and welfare of patients and the public.

As healthcare professionals, practising pharmacists are required to display full technical competence in their chosen profession, behave with probity and integrity and to be accountable in this regard for their actions. These qualities of competence, probity, integrity and accountability, which a pharmacist must demonstrate, are underwritten by a statutory Code of Conduct. All pharmacists must subscribe to this Code.

The Code states that the practice by a pharmacist of his/her profession must be directed toward maintaining and improving the health, well-being, care and safety of the patient. The Code also requires pharmacists to ensure that, in instances where they are unable to provide services to a patient (e.g. in situations where they have a conscientious objection to such a provision), they take reasonable action to ensure those medicines/services are provided and that the patient’s care is not jeopardised. In practice, this means facilitating the patient in accessing the information or service required to meet their needs from another pharmacist/pharmacy.

In addition to the Code, the PSI issued a guidance document, which provides guidance in fulfilling their professional responsibilities in the supply of these medicines. The guidance document was reviewed, updated and circulated to the profession in February 2015 and is available on the PSI website .

No statistics are available on the number of pharmacists/pharmacies that supply/do not supply Norlevo.