Written answers
Tuesday, 8 October 2024
Department of Health
Pharmacy Services
Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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607. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated full-year costs of fully implementing a minor ailment scheme in community pharmacists. [40121/24]
Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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On 24th July 2023, I established an Expert Taskforce to support the expansion of the role of Pharmacy in Ireland. The Taskforce continued to work together until July 2024. In August 2024, I accepted their recommendations and published their final report.
One of the major recommendations from the Taskforce was that pharmacists should be able to prescribe for a range of common conditions. The Taskforce recommended an initial list of eight conditions which may be extended over time as the service evolves. The eight conditions are as follows:
- Allergic Rhinitis
- Cold Sores
- Conjunctivitis
- Impetigo
- Oral Thrush
- Shingles
- Uncomplicated UTI / Cystitis
- Vulvovaginal Thrush
I have established an Implementation Oversight Group, with membership drawn from all relevant stakeholders, which will be responsible for ensuring implementation of the common conditions service. This will include ensuring the development and delivery of training for pharmacists, optimising operational aspects of the service, overseeing the development of the necessary secondary legislation, and preparing and delivering communications to the public and other healthcare providers on these changes. It is not possible to provide a costing for the common conditions service at this stage.
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