The Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025 (CPA25) sets out a programme of service expansion, digital reform, and administrative modernisation for community pharmacy. Since the publication of our previous update in the December issue of the IPU Review, further progress has been made across a number of key areas.
This article outlines developments in service delivery and access, prescription management reform, digital integration, and structured engagement with the Department of Health, the HSE, regulators, and pharmacy system vendors.
The work of implementing CPA25 is supported by all the Committees of the IPU.
The Common Conditions Service (CCS) is now operational, enabling pharmacists to assess, consult and, where appropriate, prescribe for a defined range of common conditions.
As outlined in CPA25, key enablers for the service include legislation, HSE Clinical Protocols, PSI guidance, and pharmacist training. In addition to these, the IPU has focused on practical implementation supports.
The Common Conditions Service Hub on the IPU website continues to be updated and includes:
To support digital implementation, the IPU finalised a ‘Common Conditions Service Operational Requirements Document’ in collaboration with the Department of Health and pharmacy system vendors. This sets out the agreed workflow and system requirements to assist vendors in supporting CCS delivery in practice.
Under CPA25, approximately 150 pharmacies will participate as Data Champion sites, providing anonymised service data to support evaluation and continuous improvement. Data requirements have been agreed and shared with vendors, with the first formal service review scheduled six months after implementation.
The HSE National Condom Distribution Service forms part of the broader public health commitments under CPA25. Work is progressing to support community pharmacy participation, with operational and system considerations being addressed through ongoing engagement.
By empowering individuals and communities, pharmacies drive better health outcomes and enhance overall wellbeing. To build on this key role it has been agreed that community pharmacies will support approved health promotion campaigns. We have been working with the HSE Health and Wellbeing team to identify key health promotion campaigns in line with priorities identified by both the HSE Health and Wellbeing team and the IPU Community Pharmacy Committee (CPC). Facilitating participation in identified training and education to support delivery of public health campaigns, providing overviews of campaigns and associated health promotion objectives and enabling use of national campaign materials, are all under active discussion.
The CPA25 outlines a commitment to support the increased uptake of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) by enabling and funding community pharmacists to administer the PPV23 vaccine to healthy over 65-year-olds with GMS eligibility as part of the HSE pneumococcal vaccination programme. Work is underway to operationalise this requirement in the coming months. Legislative changes to enable funding as well as operational and logistical specifications to support delivery in practice are being developed.
Through ongoing engagement with the HSE, and informed by insights from the CPC, the proposals for the nationwide service for unused medicines return and disposal through Community Pharmacies are being worked up. Considerations include logistics, health and safety and communications for members of the public.
Section 4.3 of CPA25 includes commitments to modernise prescription management and reduce unnecessary administrative burden, while maintaining regulatory safeguards.
To support this objective, the Department of Health is progressing legislative amendments to allow certain pharmacy records to be maintained electronically, including:
An Electronic Record Keeping Implementation Group, with representation from community pharmacy, the IPU, the Department of Health, the PSI and the PCRS, has been established to oversee this work.
The IPU facilitated a small proof-of-concept exercise in selected pharmacies to examine how draft legislative provisions would operate alongside existing digital workflows. The findings are informing the final legislative drafting and associated regulatory guidance.
Subject to finalisation of the legislation, the next phase will focus on practical implementation, including vendor engagement and consideration of appropriate solutions to support electronic record keeping in practice.
Digital integration remains a central pillar of CPA25, supporting both service expansion and system efficiency.
As set out in CPA25, IHI is recognised as an important enabler for future digital prescribing, National Shared Care Record integration, and improved efficiency within pharmacy practice. The HSE IHI pilot, involving IT Steering Group participants and pharmacy system vendors, is underway. IHI integration is now live in pilot pharmacy sites, with testing and validation continuing.
Under CPA25, community pharmacists are recognised as core contributors to the National Shared Care Record (NSCR).
The NSCR beta is live in initial regions, and the HSE technical team has re-engaged with the IPU to explore practical approaches to pharmacy participation, including integration through PMR systems.
The forthcoming Health Information Act is expected to provide a strengthened legal framework for healthcare data sharing. Engagement continues to ensure that any pharmacy participation is practical, proportionate and supports patient safety and data accuracy.
Implementation of CPA25 relies on close collaboration with pharmacy system vendors. The IPU continues to facilitate structured engagement through the Pharmacy Vendor Engagement Forum, which brings together vendors, the IPU, the Department of Health, the PSI, the HSE and the PCRS.
Recent discussions have included:
In parallel, the IPU has developed a focused digital and IT milestone roadmap arising from CPA25. This is designed to ensure that system dependencies are clearly identified and progressed in a coordinated and transparent manner.
CPA25 sits within a broader programme of pharmacy reform and service expansion. The Department of Health has established a consolidated Pharmacy Reform, Oversight and Controlled Substances function to oversee:
The work programme includes:
The IPU maintains regular engagement with this function across multiple workstreams, ensuring coordinated implementation and alignment with Sláintecare objectives and the Expert Taskforce recommendations on pharmacist prescribing.
Across all CPA25 workstreams, the approach remains consistent:
The expansion of services under CPA25 is both a professional and operational development for community pharmacy. By progressing service implementation, digital integration and administrative reform in parallel, the foundations are being put in place for sustainable service development over the coming years.
Further updates will be provided as workstreams continue to progress.
Clare Fitzell
Secretary General, IPU
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