Tribute paid to the critical role played by pharmacists
Safe Pharmacy domestic abuse initiative now has over 1,000 participants
25 September 2022 Marking World Pharmacist Day, the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has paid tribute to the role the profession plays in supporting the public. This year, in addition to the role played in providing medicines and healthcare advice, Irish pharmacies have introduced Safe Pharmacy to offer support to victims of domestic abuse.
Paying tribute to all those who work in Ireland’s 1,900 community pharmacies Dermot Twomey President of the IPU said “Pharmacists continue to deliver an exceptional standard of care and have demonstrated throughout the pandemic their crucial role in community-based healthcare. Pharmacies, which are in practically every community in the country, provide a wide range of services including supplying medicines, first aid, treating minor ailments, , vaccinations and emergency contraception. They remain the most accessible and accessed part of our health system and we are grateful to them for the work they do.”
Safe Pharmacy
Safe Pharmacy is a new programme that aims to provide any person who is experiencing domestic abuse with a safe and secure location to seek support. Launched in July the initiative now has over 1,000 participating pharmacies. The designated Safe Pharmacies have trained staff and will provide access to a phone in a private consultation room and contact details for local support services.
Twomey said “Pharmacies have always been an important part of their community and now with Safe Pharmacy they can play a crucial role in supporting the safety and wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable in our society. We want anyone experiencing a domestic violence or abuse situation to know that they will be greeted with care and compassion in each Safe Pharmacy, where help will be provided.”
“Another way in which Ireland’s pharmacies have served their communities is through their participation in the COVID-19 vaccinations” according to Twomey. “Pharmacists are trained and experienced vaccinators and in little over a year have administered over one million COVID-19 vaccines in Ireland.”
Pharmacist shortages threatens sector
Twomey warned that a shortage of qualified pharmacists in Ireland is creating challenges and its future viability is under threat. “The shortage of qualified pharmacists in Ireland has been growing each year and is now having a direct impact. This is perpetuated by two solvable problems. First, we are simply not educating enough pharmacists here in Ireland. Then secondly, we make it needlessly complicated and time consuming to recruit pharmacists who qualify outside of the EU.
“Pharmacists are already under immense pressure and this is compounded by the fact that too much time is spent on administrative tasks and endless red tape. If we can’t increase the supply of qualified pharmacists, the sector will be unable to keep up with demand. All the potential to expand the services will be lost”.
Spokesperson concluded by once again paying tribute to pharmacists stating, “Pharmacists in Ireland are a highly committed and expert group of healthcare professionals. They are ready, willing, and waiting to do more for their patients. The availability of more pharmacists in Ireland will improve the level of service community pharmacists can deliver and ensure pharmacies can remain open.”
