Dear Colleague,
As we settle into the New Year, I like many of you am eager to see continued progress for community pharmacy, ensuring our sustainability and reinforcing our essential role in healthcare.
Over the Christmas period, the high prevalence of influenza kept us all extremely busy. Community pharmacists have administered 31% of COVID-19 boosters and 32% of influenza vaccines. Most notably, we have played a leading role in the schools’ vaccination programme, delivering 57% of LAIV doses across all settings. These figures highlight the critical role we continue to play in frontline healthcare delivery.
The recent general election and formation of a new government brought a renewed focus to healthcare. Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has been appointed Minister for Health, supported by three junior ministers: Jennifer Murnane O’Connor (Public Health, Wellbeing, and National Drugs Strategy), Kieran O’Donnell (Older People), and Mary Butler (Mental Health and Government Chief Whip). We have already begun engaging with them and are actively seeking meetings to ensure continued momentum on the community pharmacy agenda.
The commitments outlined in the Programme for Government reflect all the key recommendations from our election manifesto. A special thanks to the collective efforts of our members, committees, and the team at Butterfield House for securing these commitments. Key recommendations include:
- A review of the pharmacy fee structure;
- Improvements in HSE reimbursement processes;
- Proactive management of medicine shortages; and
- The proposed appointment of a Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO).
While these are all positive steps, I know many of you are asking “when will we see tangible progress?” Rest assured; we are making headway. We held two meetings with the Department of Health in January, with more scheduled throughout February. The talks on state payments to pharmacies remains our key priority and this is where we are investing the majority of our resources at this time.
We continue to engage with the HSE and Department of Health as part of the Pharmacy Administration Burden Working Group, and this workstream is progressing. Additionally, our annual Medicine Shortages Survey will be launching soon. This survey is a crucial tool in strengthening our advocacy efforts, and I urge you to participate. Meanwhile, the ongoing annual sector review, conducted in collaboration with Fitzgerald Power, is gathering essential data to support our case for appropriate funding from the Department of Health, again, your engagement in this survey is invaluable.
Storm Eowyn had a widespread impact, and I want to commend you all for your dedication in ensuring continuity of care for patients. As with COVID-19, community pharmacies responded swiftly, reopening as soon as possible to serve their communities. This unwavering commitment is why pharmacists consistently rank as one of the most trusted professions.
I also want to address concerns regarding the HSE’s NRT tender for the supply of Nicotine Replacement Therapy/Stop Smoking Medication Products. In our December newsletter, we outlined the extensive work undertaken by the IPU in this area, including multiple meetings with the HSE, submissions on the market sounding exercise, and continued engagement with stakeholders. We have consistently advocated for a model where free NRT/SSM is accessible through all pharmacies, and we will continue to pursue this goal. It is important to note that the current tender is a temporary measure, and the HSE Quit team has clearly expressed an intention to seek provision for supply through all community pharmacies.
The IPU team and committees remain fully committed to advancing our profession. Already this year, we have:
- Submitted responses to the PSI on the proposed PSI (Fees) Rules,
- Contributed to the Department of Health’s Pharmaceutical Strategy Working Group on the revision of EU pharmaceutical legislation;
- Prepared a submission on the draft CPD rules; and
- Continued to actively be involved in the implementation of the Expert Taskforce recommendations, engaging with the oversight group to progress towards a common clinical conditions service.
I understand how demanding this time of year is in community pharmacy, but I encourage you to stay engaged. Keep up with our weekly newsletters, utilise the resources on our website, and follow our media channels for ongoing updates. The February edition of the IPU Review, featuring key insights for members will be with you shortly. The March edition will include guidance on ensuring accurate reimbursement claims, as well as an update from our Employee Committee on the newly established Employee/Employer Forum.
2025 has already begun at a rapid pace, and it will only intensify as pay talks reach a critical phase in the coming months. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible at our upcoming AGM and Conference on 9 & 10 May at the Lyrath Estate Hotel, Kilkenny, registration is now open via the IPU website.
Thank you for your continued commitment to our profession and the communities we serve
