Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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543. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider permitting appropriately trained pharmacists to prescribe medicine following assessing patients in order to reduce demand on general practitioner services. [22294/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Health is committed to the ethos of ensuring that the right care is delivered in the right place and at the right time for all citizens and recognises that all healthcare professionals have a role to play in optimising patient care and service delivery in line with this vision.

I recognise that medicines are the most common healthcare intervention within the health system and that both the use and complexity of medicines are increasing. Pharmacists are the healthcare professional optimally placed by virtue of their training to deliver on the critical role within the health system to ensure the rational use of medicines by maximising the benefits and minimising the potential for patient harm with regard to medicines. 

I acknowledge that various forms of pharmacist prescribing are in place internationally ranging from collaborative, supplementary and independent prescribing, contextualised with the health care service model that the activity is delivered in. The focus of Sláintecare to develop primary and community care, and make it possible for people to stay healthy in their homes and communities for as long as possible. The underpinning objective and rationale for any pharmacist prescribing model should be to enhance patient safety and timely access to medicines and I am open to the consideration of any evidence based, appropriately governed services delivered by appropriately trained professionals which will support the holistic functioning of the healthcare system for best patient outcome.