David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

417. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to extend the role of pharmacists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33348/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I value the important role community pharmacists play in our Health Service in the delivery of holistic patient care. I also fully acknowledge that community pharmacists have played a vital role in responding to the health needs of the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Community pharmacists have ensured the continued availability of a professional, accessible service for the public and have successfully managed to alleviate concerns around continuity of medicine supply. They have also played a central role in the national vaccination rollout – the largest ever undertaken by the State.

During the COVID-19 pandemic the HSE established a Community Pharmacy Contingency Planning working group with relevant stakeholders, including the Irish Pharmaceutical Union and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, to support the implementation of all COVID-19 support measures. This group – now called the Community Pharmacy Planning Forum – had examined the operational and clinical challenges confronting community pharmacists during the COVID-19 emergency and played a key role in resolving them to the benefit of the people of Ireland.

The work of the Forum has now transitioned to discussing the strategic direction of the community pharmacy profession. These discussions will bring clarity to the role to be played by community pharmacy in the context of Sláintecare. The central objective of SláinteCare is providing the right care, in the right place, at the right time. This means providing more care to patients in the communities in which they live. Community pharmacists will play a vital and increasing role in delivering this care.

The ongoing work of the Community Pharmacy Planning Forum will also prove invaluable in the context of future contractual reform. Of course, any publicly funded pharmacy service expansion should address unmet public healthcare needs, improve access to existing public health services, and provide better value for money.

I believe there is a real opportunity to work collaboratively, and with other healthcare providers, to make a significant difference to patient outcomes. I welcome the ongoing work of the Community Pharmacy Planning Forum in that regard.