Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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231. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the engagements with stakeholders with regard to the appointment of a chief pharmaceutical officer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47629/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has professionally qualified pharmacists among its staff and does not have plans to appoint a chief pharmaceutical officer at the present time. The matter will be kept under review in the context of wider workforce planning considerations.

I am aware that there is interest currently in discussing the potential post of Chief Pharmaceutical Officer and I have asked my officials in the Medicines, Controlled Drugs and Pharmacy Legislation Unit to engage directly with the Irish Pharmacy Union in the first instance, to offer the IPU an opportunity to outline their position and to listen to their perspective and insights on this matter.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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232. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the work of the Community Pharmacy Planning Forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47630/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As the Health Service Executive (HSE) chair the Community Pharmacy Planning Forum, I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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233. To ask the Minister for Health his views with regard to the potential of early cancer screening in community pharmacies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47631/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I am fully committed to supporting our population screening programmes which are a valuable part of our health service, enabling early treatment and care for many people, and improving the overall health of our population.?

The HSE National Screening Service (NSS), encompasses three national population-based cancer screening programmes, BreastCheck, CervicalCheck and BowelScreen. These programmes aim to reduce morbidity and mortality in the population through early detection of disease and treatment, both of which greatly improve health outcomes.

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.

Finally, it is important to note that any decisions about changes to screening programmes, will be made on the advice of our National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC). This independent expert group considers and assesses evidence in a robust and transparent manner, and against internationally accepted criteria. It is important we have rigorous processes in place to ensure our screening programmes are effective, quality assured and operating to safe standards, and that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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234. To ask the Minister for Health the efforts being made to address pay and conditions issues within community pharmacies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47632/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to reiterate my recognition of the key role of Pharmacy in the Community, and the very significant contribution made by this sector to patients and the public in responding to their health needs during the course of the pandemic. I also acknowledge the vital role that community pharmacy will play in the development and implementation of future healthcare reform, especially in regard to the aims and vision of Sláintecare.

I understand that there are reports of a current acute workforce issue, particularly in relation to community pharmacy. The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), the pharmacy regulator, has been liaising with stakeholders, including the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), on efforts being taken within the sector to understand and address the issue. This a complex problem with many contributing factors and multiple stakeholders. Workforce challenges are being experienced in other sectors nationally, and in the pharmacy sector in a range of other countries. This re-enforces the need for robust data for Ireland to be best able to determine the current landscape, assess future health system needs and understand existing sectoral challenges now and into the future.

The PSI are currently undertaking a project, titled ‘Emerging Risks to the Future Pharmacy Workforce’, which is set to “assess emerging risks to the continued availability of a professional pharmacy workforce within community and hospital pharmacy in Ireland”. As part of this project, the PSI have committed to share any relevant data emerging with relevant Government departments particularly if trends are identified that indicate a future deficit. The PSI has also committed in its Service Plan 2022 to complete a review of the Third Country Qualification Route (TCQR) and propose changes to the Council.

During the COVID-19 pandemic the Health Service Executive established a Community Pharmacy Contingency Planning working group with relevant stakeholders, including the IPU and the PSI, 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. This will 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.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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235. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the shortage of staff for community pharmacies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47633/22]

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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237. To ask the Minister for Health the actions his Department is taking to tackle the shortage of qualified staff in an industry (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the calls from the industry for more third level places and a reduction of needless paperwork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47658/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 and 237 together.

I understand that currently there are reports of a current acute workforce issue, particularly in relation to community pharmacy. The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), the pharmacy regulator, has been liaising with stakeholders, including the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), on efforts being taken within the sector to understand and address the issue.

This is a complex problem with many contributing factors and multiple stakeholders, with workforce challenges being experienced in other sectors nationally, and in the pharmacy sector in a range of other countries.

In February 2022, PSI met with a number of superintendent pharmacists and with the IPU. The PSI circulated a survey on behalf of the IPU to all registrants to support efforts to understand and address the issue in the short term with the fieldwork on the research undertaken between 22 March and 8 April 2022. The results of this have been finalised and a report generated, containing specific recommendations, and this has been drawn to the attention of my officials who are currently reviewing the content; they will continue to liaise with relevant stakeholders on this matter.

In developing its Corporate Strategy 2021-2023, the PSI was aware of reports of an increasing risk to the continued availability of a pharmacist workforce. The PSI are currently undertaking a project, due to run across 2022-’23, titled ‘Emerging Risks to the Future Pharmacy Workforce’. This project is set to “assess emerging risks to the continued availability of a professional pharmacy workforce within community and hospital pharmacy in Ireland”.

The European Commission is also currently supporting a health and social care workforce planning strategy and action plan, a health and social care workforce planning model, health and social care workforce projections and gap analysis project. Support includes recommendations for health and social care workforce reforms.

As you will be aware there are currently three Schools of Pharmacy within universities in Ireland – TCD, RCSI and UCC who each provide an accredited five-year fully integrated Master’s degree programme in pharmacy (MPharm). On successful completion of the five-year programme, graduates are then eligible to apply to the PSI for registration through the National Route of registration. As part of their Emerging Risks to the Future Pharmacy Workforce project, PSI have committed to share any relevant data emerging as part of that project with relevant Government departments, along with relevant first-time registration data with the relevant Government departments, particularly if trends are identified that indicate a future deficit.

A number of agencies and stakeholders are now beginning to review this topic holistically and consider the impact, role, responsibility and accountability from their own perspectives, and the contributions they might make to mitigate the issue. The Department is engaging both internally, and with external stakeholders, including the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology to fully assess the reported issue of shortages in the pharmacist workforce and to identify any necessary actions to be taken in the short, medium and longer term, and will continue to do so.

Pharmacy is a clinical service provided by highly qualified health care professionals within the community and hospital sectors. I continue to recognise the key role played and the very significant contribution made by this sector to patients and the public in responding to their health needs during the course of the pandemic. There is in any clinical service a requirement for the robust retention of data, both from a clinical and administrative perspective. My department has responsibility for the legislative framework for medicines, while other entities have requirements for other records. The department is committed to working on enablers to facilitate enhanced methodologies of data management including the Individual Health Identifier (IHI) and Shared Care Record as well as eHealth infrastructure. In Ireland, the HSE ePharmacy Programme has initiated the National e-Prescribing Project to plan, resource and implement e-Prescribing.

I will continue to engage as necessary with government colleagues, including with colleagues in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in addressing relevant issues as they arise.