Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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168. To ask the Minister for Health the expected timeline for appointing a chief pharmacist within the Department of Health; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24134/25]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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222. To ask the Minister for Health the plans she has to expand the roles of community pharmacists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24046/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 168 and 222 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 multidisciplinary group, including pharmacists, clinicians and regulatory experts, supported by pharmacists working in my Department. The work of the group, which meets monthly, includes the development of training and education programme for pharmacists, a package of secondary legislation and importantly the development of clinical protocols, to ensure a robust and safe services, that pharmacists can deliver in confidence.

This service will enable pharmacists to manage common conditions by offering advice, and, when appropriate, prescribing prescription-only medicines through established protocols. The eight conditions to be included in the service are as follows.

1. Allergic Rhinitis (Inflammation of the inside of the nose caused by an allergen) 2. Cold Sores (Tiny, fluid-filled blisters on the face or genitals) 3. Conjunctivitis (An eye condition caused by infection or allergies) 4. Impetigo (A contagious skin infection) 5. Oral Thrush (A fungal infection in the mouth) 6. Shingles (A skin infection caused by the chickenpox virus) 7. Uncomplicated UTI / Cystitis (An infection in the bladder or urethra) 8. Vulvovaginal Thrush (A genital fungal infection)

While the service will commence with an initial list of eight conditions, once the service beds in, is reviewed and we are satisfied that it delivers as intended, I would like to see this list of conditions extend over time as the service evolves.

As the work on the Common Conditions Service advances, my officials will subsequently 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 in all settings.