John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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790. To ask the Minister for Health if she will fully implement the expert taskforce recommendations. [6000/25]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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791. To ask the Minister for Health if she will develop a national pharmaceutical care strategy led by a chief pharmaceutical officer within her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6001/25]

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 790 and 791 together.

Pharmacists play a crucial role delivering many important services to support the health of our communities, offering expert advice on illness, ensuring the safe supply of medicines, and delivering vaccines to the public. Pharmacists are trusted and are one of the most accessible healthcare professionals.

Building on these strong foundations, I believe that pharmacists can do more for our health service and I am a huge advocate for the reform and expansion of pharmacy services. My ambition and that of Government’s is reflected in the commitments and priorities set out in the Programme for Government.

The findings and recommendations from the Expert Taskforce to Support the Expansion of the Role of Pharmacy provide an important framework to inform the reforms and developments required to deliver expanded pharmacy services. My vision for the future includes pharmacists playing a much larger role in our health service, and I’m happy to see the progress being made by my Department to facilitate this.

The overarching recommendations from the Taskforce call for independent, autonomous prescriptive authority within and related to the individual pharmacist’s scope of practice and competence, implemented in a stepwise manner, commencing with the introduction of a common conditions service.

In line with the Taskforce's recommendations, my Department is prioritising delivery of all the regulatory enablers to facilitate community pharmacies to establish Common Conditions Services. I want to see this service established in 2025. This priority work is facilitated and supported by a multi-disciplinary group, including pharmacists, clinicians and regulatory experts, supported by pharmacists working in my Department.

As the work on the Common Conditions Service advances, my officials will progress a focused examination and scoping work on the remaining recommendations of the Taskforce, including consideration of recommendations regarding the role of a Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, with a view to establishing an approach to further phases of reform and the expansion of the role of pharmacists. I also recently met the Irish Pharmacy Union to discuss expanding and reforming community pharmacy, and I look forward to working with the sector to support community pharmacy to play an even greater role in the delivery of healthcare into the future.