While political attention began to turn to June’s local and European elections the positive momentum towards the expansion of pharmacy services has remained, writes Brian Harrison of MKC Communications in this month’s political report.
The momentum towards the expansion of pharmacy services includes the Minister for Health facing and answering multiple questions on the scope of pharmacies and their services in Ireland, along with questions about medicine shortages and the various health schemes.
May also saw the Department of Health launch a public consultation to help inform plans to expand the role of community pharmacists. Announcing the consultation, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly TD (Wickow, Fianna Fáil) said, “I want to hear a range of views from healthcare professionals and the public to inform our approach as we work to expand the role of pharmacy in Ireland”.
Among the TDs raising questions about pharmacy services was Deputy Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fáil). Deputy Smyth asked the Minister for Health, “if any analysis has been conducted by the Government on pharmacy fees per item between 2015 and 2023”.
In his response, the Minister for Health recognised the “significant role that community pharmacists play in patient care”. He also spoke about extending the scope of practice for community pharmacists that is being developed by his Department.
Addressing fees, Minister Donnelly noted the Public Service and Pensions Act 2017, which states that the pharmacy fee structure must be reviewed every year after 2020: “My Department has been carrying out a comprehensive review, including an analysis of fees paid over several years.” The Minister also told the Deputy about the ongoing engagement between Department of Health officials and the IPU on a number of areas.
Separately, during Dáil statements on delivering universal healthcare Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) raised the IPU proposal for the introduction of a minor ailment scheme.
Deputy Fitzpatrick said, “Research suggests that up to 18 per cent of GP visits relate to minor ailments.” He cited the IPU as saying, “the Irish health service has the potential to revolutionise community care by empowering pharmacists and allowing them to operate to their full scope of practice. He concluded by saying that this presented, “a significant opportunity to eliminate more than one million clinically unnecessary GP visits”.
Labour health spokesperson Deputy Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour) has challenged the Minister for Health about why a Chief Pharmaceutical Officer is yet to be appointed.
The Minister responded to the Deputy saying, “the pharmacy profession is an important part of the health service” and summarised the establishment of the Expert Taskforce.
Addressing Deputy Smith’s question, Minister Donnelly acknowledged that the role of a Chief Pharmaceutical Officer is a position that those in the pharmacy profession have “advocated for several years for” and explained that this is one of the areas the Expert Taskforce is examining. The Minister told the Deputy that the Taskforce is working on their second phase of work with a report to be received by the Minister in June of this year.
Deputy David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Féin) has asked the Minister for Health why reimbursement support for Ozempic is only available to those under the General Medical Services scheme and not available on the Drugs Payment Scheme.
Minister Donnelly explained to Deputy Cullinane that Ozempic “is indicated for the treatment of adults with insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus as an adjunct to diet and exercise and is not licensed for the treatment of weight management in a non-diabetic population”.
Concluding his response, the Minister highlighted that the “controls are currently in place with the HSE’s Primary Care Reimbursement Service in relation to Ozempic to restrict reimbursement support to the approved indication”, and for that reason Ozempic is available to those with eligibility under the General Medical Services Scheme and not the Drugs Payment Scheme.
Deputy Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fáil) raised the topic of pharmacies offering delivery services to patients. He asked the Minister for Health about the “issue regarding delivery drivers delivering medication and prescriptions to patients where those prescriptions have been filled by a qualified pharmacist”. The Deputy further asked the Minister to “clarify the efforts being made to resolve that issue”.
The Minister responded by noting that “it is at the discretion of the individual pharmacy if they wish to offer a delivery service to their customers and patients”.
Minister Donnelly advised Deputy Troy that current regulations require that “a person carrying out a retail pharmacy business ensures that prior to the dispensing of each prescription to the supply of the medicinal product concerned, a registered pharmacist reviews the prescription”.
He concluded his response by stating, “the pharmacist is fully responsible for ensuring that the system used is suitable for the medicine concerned and the integrity of the supply chain”.
There have been several questions in relation to the eligibility for medicines for medical card patients.
Vitamin B12 injections were raised by Deputy Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) who asked, “if a person in receipt of a medical card should be paying for Vitamin B12 injections in their local GP service”.
The Minister for Health told the Deputy that “vitamins and minerals generally do not need a prescription”. However, he noted that “there is a limited range of products that were historically available on the GMS reimbursement list, with injectable Vitamin B 12 being one of those products”.
The Minister explained to the Deputy that “subject to the statutory prescription charge, Vitamin B12 is available to medical card holders without charge where appropriate”.
Brian Harrison
MKC Communications
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