Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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546. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to an issue with the number of pharmacies that do not employ any full-time pharmacists, and are thus solely reliant on locums, which is pushing up demand for casual work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56358/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) is the statutory agency responsible for the registration and regulation of pharmacies and pharmacists in the State. The PSI maintains the Registers of Pharmacists and Pharmacies, as part of its remit and in the interest of public health and safety.

The PSI has been keeping my Department updated on reported workforce issues. Through the PSI’s work and engagement with registrants and wider stakeholders, the PSI is aware of apparent acute workforce issues, particularly in relation to community pharmacy. The existing workforce challenges are there, despite the fact that there are increasing numbers of registered pharmacists joining the Register. As of 11 November 2022, there were 7,020 pharmacists registered to practise in Ireland. This is the largest number on the pharmacist register in Ireland to date (the number at the end of 2021 was 6,845). As of 1 November 2022 there were 1,980 pharmacies registered with the PSI. The majority of these are pharmacies in community settings.

The Pharmacy Act 2007 established the current governance requirements for pharmacies – this includes the roles known as superintendent pharmacist and supervising pharmacist, each with a distinct role and responsibility within a pharmacy. Each registered pharmacy is required to have both a named supervising and superintendent pharmacist in place. The superintendent pharmacist, who must have a minimum of three years post-registration experience, is responsible for the overall professional policy and clinical management of a pharmacy. A pharmacy may only legally be open if there is a registered pharmacist present on the premises.

Reports to the PSI indicate that there has been an increase in the number of pharmacists choosing to work in a locum, rather than full-time employment, capacity. This has a knock-on impact on pharmacist vacancies, and potentially on continuity and consistency of service. That said, there are roles and responsibilities that apply to all pharmacists in patient-facing roles, regardless of employment status. The PSI wrote to pharmacist registrants in July this year highlighting key professional considerations for all pharmacists in the current environment and noting the increased numbers of pharmacists operating as locums.

The PSI has also been liaising with other stakeholders, including the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), on efforts being taken within the sector to understand and address this current problem. In June of this year, pharmacists were added to the Critical Skills Occupations List by the Minister of State for Business Employment and Retail.

The PSI is not involved in the recruitment of pharmacists, but as the regulator has committed to examining the topic of the pharmacist workforce to support the pharmacy sector in contributing in the development of an integrated healthcare system. It is aware through its work and through reports from stakeholders, of an increasing risk to the continued availability of a pharmacist workforce, with the concern being that the issue may be exacerbated into the future. In response, the PSI is undertaking a project examining ‘Emerging Risks to the Future Pharmacy Workforce’. This is a complex problem with many contributing factors, and multiple stakeholders, and the PSI project is taking a medium to long-term view of the matter. Workforce challenges are being experienced in other sectors nationally, and in the pharmacy sector in a range of other countries. The aim of the project is to gather robust data for Ireland, as this is needed to be able to determine the current landscape, assess future health system needs and understand existing sectoral challenges now and into the future. It will be on the basis of gathering and analysing this up-to-date, robust and relevant data, that recommendations can be proposed to address Ireland’s needs for a pharmacist workforce in the future, as Ireland’s healthcare system evolves, and in the context of Sláintecare implementation.

My officials will continue to liaise with PSI on developments relating to this important issue.

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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547. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 149 pharmacies (details supplied) do not have a nominated supervising pharmacist as per the PSI registers which is a position required by law for each pharmacy; given that many of these vacancies are long-standing, this put the responsibilities of the supervising pharmacist on to locums and support staff, if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that this breaches the Pharmacy Act 2007 and is not in line with good practice; the actions that his Department will take to tackle this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56359/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you for your question. In responding to your query, I have engaged with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), the statutory regulatory authority responsible for the regulation of the practice and profession of pharmacy in this State.

As of 1 November 2022, there were 1,980 pharmacies registered with the PSI and named in the Register of Pharmacies. This Register is contemporaneous and there are changes to personnel updated on a daily basis. Of this number, there are currently just under 140 pharmacies having vacancies for supervising pharmacies (c. 7% of registered pharmacies). The PSI monitors the situation and vacancies on an ongoing basis with each pharmacy. PSI is also aware from its monitoring and engagement activities with those pharmacies, that these entities are involved in recruitment processes to fill the vacancies that have arisen. As part of its monitoring activity, PSI has established an escalation process to assure safety within pharmacies is being maintained where vacancies occur.

The requirement for all pharmacies to nominate a supervising pharmacist is provided for in section 28(b) of the Pharmacy Act 2007. This section requires that where the business is carried on by a corporate body:

“(b) that, at the premises where the business is carried on or, if there are two or more of those premises, at each of them, there is a registered pharmacist who has a 3 years minimum post-registration experience in whole-time charge of the carrying on of the business there.’

This registered pharmacist is referred to as the supervising pharmacist. All pharmacies are also required to have in place a superintendent pharmacist, who must also have three years of post-registration experience and who is responsible for the overall professional policy and clinical management of a pharmacy. This person may hold this role for more than one pharmacy. It is also worth pointing out that from a patient safety perspective, a pharmacy may only legally be open if there is a registered pharmacist present on the premises.

The PSI as the regulator is currently undertaking a project examining ‘Emerging Risks to the Future Pharmacy Workforce’. This is a complex problem with many contributing factors, and multiple stakeholders, and the PSI project is taking a medium to long-term view of the matter. Workforce challenges are being experienced in other sectors nationally, and in the pharmacy sector in a range of other countries. The aim of the project is to gather robust data for Ireland, as this is needed to be able to determine the current landscape, assess future health system needs and understand existing sectoral challenges now and into the future. It will be on the basis of gathering and analysing this up-to-date, robust and relevant data, that recommendations can be proposed to address Ireland’s needs for a pharmacist workforce in the future, as Ireland’s healthcare system evolves, and in the context of Sláintecare implementation.

My officials will continue to liaise with PSI on developments relating to this important issue.