Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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552. To ask the Minister for Health when the review of moneys paid to community pharmacies is due to commence; if he will engage with an organisation (details supplied) as a matter of urgency in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32025/23]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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561. To ask the Minister for Health if he intends to establish a review of pharmacy dispensing fees and the extent of service provision by community pharmacists; and if he will engage directly with an organisation (details supplied) on the matter. [32054/23]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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577. To ask the Minister for Health what the outcome of the recent meeting between his Department officials and an organisation (details supplied) was; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32158/23]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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617. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to the restoration of pharmacy fees slashed under FEMPI; if he will acknowledge that pharmacies are under threat as a result of the failure to restore fees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32379/23]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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619. To ask the Minister for Health if he will restore the dispensing fee model to €6.50 per medicine considering the current crisis in community pharmacies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32383/23]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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620. To ask the Minister for Health if he will engage with a representative body of a sector (details supplied) prior to reviewing the nature of community pharmacies services under the Public Pay and Pensions Act legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32384/23]

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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638. To ask the Minister for Health whether, given the criticality of our pharmacies to community health, he has or will conduct a review of pharmacy dispensing fees and the extent of service provision by community pharmacists; if he has or will engage with an organisaion (details supplied) on the matter, and the dates on which he has or will engage; if he will establish a review which encompasses the scope of services provided or which could be provided by community pharmacy; if he will include scoping of a minor ailments or minor illness scheme in community pharmacy in the terms of reference of the aforementioned review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32511/23]

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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650. To ask the Minister for Health the last date which there was a review of pharmacy dispensing fees and pharmacy contracts; when a further review will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32599/23]

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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651. To ask the Minister for Health when he last met with (details supplied) in respect of dispensing fees and contracts, and the scope of services permitted by pharmacies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32600/23]

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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652. To ask the Minister for Health if he proposes to conduct a review of the scope of services provided within community pharmacies; if such a review will include consideration that minor ailments and minor illnesses be included within the scope of pharmacies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32601/23]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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653. To ask the Minister for Health if he is considering a proposal from an organisation (details supplied); if he intends to review the dispensing fee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32605/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 552, 561, 567, 577, 617, 619, 620, 638, 650, 651, 652 and 653 together.

I recognise the significant role community pharmacists play in the delivery of patient care and acknowledge the potential for this role to be developed further in the context of healthcare service reform.

In that regard, various approaches to extending the scope of practice of community pharmacists are being progressed by my Department. The implementation of these necessitates engagement with a range of stakeholders and full consideration of all the relevant legislative and operational issues involved.

The regulations governing the pharmacy fee structure are set out in the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 (No. 34 of 2017) and in S.I. No. 639 of 2019, the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 (Payments to Community Pharmacy Contractors) Regulations 2019, which put the current fee structure in place, with effect from 1 January 2020.

Under Section 42(14) of the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017 the pharmacy fee structure must be reviewed every third year after 2020. My Department is currently carrying out a review and Department officials have held a productive meeting with the Irish Pharmacy Union in that regard. Another meeting is scheduled to take place in July.

I believe that there is a real opportunity to work collaboratively with community pharmacists, and with other healthcare providers, to make a significant difference to patient outcomes. 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.