John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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377. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the progress of the introduction of the common conditions services by community pharmacies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31167/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Following completion and publication of the Expert Taskforce Report in August 2024, the Community Pharmacy Expansion Implementation Oversight Group (IOG) was established to implement recommendations from the “Expert Taskforce to Support the Expansion of the Role of Pharmacy”, specifically in relation to the establishment of a Common Conditions Service.

The IOG is made up of stakeholders from the PSI, IPU, HPRA, and the HSE, and is chaired by the Department of Health. It also contains practicing pharmacists and a patient advocate.

The IOG meets monthly and is currently working to finalise the clinical protocols, education and training for pharmacists, a package of required regulations, and operational aspects of the service. The group will continue to work together over the next few months to put the enablers in place to facilitate community pharmacies to establish common condition services within 2025.

Further information on the work of the group can be found at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/collections/community-pharmacy-expansion-implementation-oversight-group/