David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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162. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on the funded HRT scheme announced in Budget 2025; what discussions her officials have had with the Irish Pharmacy Union in relation to the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9853/25]

Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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194. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the rollout of the hormone replacement therapy programme, with specific regard to the ongoing discussions regarding dispensing fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10023/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 162 and 194 together.

Menopause is an important health and well-being issue which has been prioritised as part of the Government’s commitment to improved women’s health outcomes. Much important work has been done in this area, driven by the Women’s Health Taskforce and the Women’s Health Action Plans.

Budget 2025 announced the intention to fund the cost of HRT products prescribed to women to help manage the symptoms associated with all stages of menopause. This new HRT measure represents another step to widen access to and reduce costs associated with menopause related treatments and services and follows on from all the other developments that have taken place over several years.

The new Programme for Government: Securing Ireland’s Future continues to emphasise this important commitment to improving women’s health outcomes and experiences. It also commits to make HRT medicines available at no cost for the drug/product.

Legislation has been passed that means where a woman has been prescribed a HRT product by her healthcare provider to alleviate the symptoms associated with all stages of menopause, the cost of the HRT medications or products will be met by the State.

For the purpose of this measure, menopause means, in relation to a woman, the various stages for the treatment of menopause symptoms and includes perimenopause, post menopause, early menopause, premature menopause and medically induced menopause.

This measure will cover any HRT medications and products which are reimbursable by the HSE, which have been prescribed for the purposes of alleviating the symptoms of menopause. The cost of GP consultation fees and pharmacy dispensing fees are not included in the measure.

My Department has engaged with both the Health Service Executive and the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) in relation to the practical rollout of this measure.

I met with the IPU on 11 February 2025 to discuss her objectives for expanding and reforming community pharmacy and to progressing the Budget 2025 HRT initiative. This was a constructive engagement, and I listened to issues raised by the IPU. The IPU committed to coming to back to me regarding the introduction of the HRT measure. The IPU have now responded with further information, and this is being considered by my Department.

The goal is to introduce this measure as soon as possible and reimbursement support will be available to participating pharmacies from the date that this measure commences.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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163. To ask the Minister for Health if she will provide an update on whether injectable semaglutide medicines will be made available to obesity patients on the drugs payment scheme before the end of the year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9854/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions, under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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164. To ask the Minister for Health if she is aware of the ongoing shortage of prescription packs (60 tablets) of soluble Solpadine, not to be confused with the over-the-counter packs available without prescription available in 12 and 24 tablets; if officials from her Department have discussed the shortage with the HPRA or manufacturer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9855/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Dear Deputy,

Thank you for your important query on the current shortage of Solpadeine Soluble Tablets.

Chefaro Ireland DAC, the company responsible for supplying Solpadeine Soluble Tablets, has notified our medicines regulator, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), of shortages of Solpadeine Soluble Tablets Paracetamol 500mg Codeine Phosphate Hemihydrate 8mg Caffeine 30mg in pack size 60 tablets, on 10/04/2024, with an expected return date of 31/03/2025.

The HPRA is also aware of a shortage of Solpadeine Soluble Tablets, pack size 12 tablets, notified on 29/12/2023, with the same expected return date of 31/03/2025.

These shortages are due to a manufacturing delay which is affecting multiple countries, including Ireland.

The HPRA maintains a list of current and resolved shortages on its website (www.hpra.ie/find-a-medicine/for-human-use/medicine-shortages?data=eyJpZCI6bnVsbCwic2tpcCI6MCwidGFrZSI6MTAsInF1ZXJ5IjpudWxsLCJvcmRlciI6Imxhc3R1cGRhdGVkIERFU0MiLCJmaWx0ZXIiOiJBbGwifQ%3D%3D). The webpage is updated daily as the HPRA receives new information.

My Department is aware of the stress that shortages of medicines can cause for patients and healthcare professionals alike, thusly mitigating medicine shortages and strengthening security of supply is the subject of several workstreams in my Department, the wider health service and across Europe.

Ireland has a multi-stakeholder Medicines Shortages Framework in place, operated by the HPRA on behalf of the Department of Health. The framework aims to help prevent potential shortages from occurring and to reduce the impact of shortages on patients by coordinating the management of potential or actual shortages as they arise. Stakeholders in this framework include the HPRA, the Department, the HSE, healthcare professionals, manufacturers, wholesalers, patient representative groups and marketing authorisation holders.

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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165. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on the timeline for the introduction of pharmacist prescribing; what recommendations from the expert taskforce have been achieved so far; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9857/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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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.

In its initial recommendations from November 2023, the Expert Taskforce recommended that prescriptions be valid for a maximum of 12 months, with pharmacists empowered to extend six-month prescriptions for up to a further six months if they deemed it safe and appropriate to do so. This was implemented by my Department shortly afterward, with secondary legislation put in place in March 2024.

In its final report of July 2024, the Taskforce made over 20 recommendations under eight headings.

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, with a view to establishing an approach to further phases of reform and the expansion of the role of pharmacists.