Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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339. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration will be given to making certain medications for the treatment of cystitis and urinary tract infections available without prescription, in recognition of the impact of recurrent infections on women’s health and in order to ease the current pressure on GP services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54420/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I am a big advocate for supporting and expanding access to women’s health. Additionally, I believe that pharmacists play a crucial role delivering many important services to support the health of our communities such as 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. 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. Management of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) is included in this service, and pharmacists will be able to support the public in managing this condition guided by protocols delivered by clinical experts, including experts in antimicrobial stewardship. The status of products will not change, instead, pharmacists will be supported to undergo additional training to be able to prescribe certain medicines when appropriate.