1 March 2024: The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has welcomed the introduction of prescription extension from the start of March.
From today GPs and other prescribers will be able to write repeat prescriptions with a validity of up to 12 months. However, a scheme to facilitate pharmacists to extend prescriptions under defined clinical criteria will not be implemented until September.
IPU Acting Secretary General Derek Reilly said, “The use of prescription extension was highly successful during the pandemic and this announcement will be welcomed by patients across the country. This measure will prevent the need for a large number of patients visiting a GP for routine repeat prescriptions. However, the true value of prescription extension to patients will only be seen when pharmacists are given similar clinical discretion. This will facilitate patients to seek an extension of a prescription directly from their pharmacist.
“When a patient is on an effective medication, the pharmacist will use their clinical expertise in collaboration with patients to assess the stability of clinical regime, adherence to and complexity of medication, side effects or the absence of these in the provision of prescription extension. Pharmacist based prescription extensions will make a huge difference to the patient experience and will also alleviate pressure on GPs.”
“Pharmacists are eagerly awaiting the introduction of this element of prescription extension and future recommendations of the Expert Taskforce to enable pharmacist prescribing. However, it will need to be adequately resourced. The act of reviewing a medication and determining if it is clinically appropriate to extend must be funded appropriately and must reflect and recognise the unique skillset of pharmacists as medicines experts and their commitment to providing continuity of pharmaceutical care to their patients.”
Concluding Mr Reilly said, “Pharmacists are highly trained professionals capable of administering a broad range of additional services including the prescription extension initiative and we look forward to being consulted in relation to the roll out and implementation of any new schemes and the funding for these services will need to be agreed as part of the on-going discussions with the Department of Health.”
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