The Common Conditions Service (CCS) is now operational, enabling pharmacists to assess, consult and, where appropriate, prescribe for a defined range of common conditions.
The process for the selection of the 150 Data Champions for evaluation of the service was outlined in the HSE circular NCO-09-2026, which issued at the end of February. In broad terms this process was as follows:
At the time of going to print a letter of invitation to participate as a Data Champion for the CCS had been issued to all 150 pharmacies on the list. The deadline for confirming this invitation was 25 March 2026. It is important to note that this letter of invitation was sent only to the 150 pharmacies selected on foot of the selection process above. No communication was issued to those pharmacies who had expressed an interest to participate but who were not selected under the random selection process.
To support digital implementation, the pharmacy system vendors have been working on solutions aligned to the ‘Common Conditions Service Operational Requirements Document’ which was prepared by the IPU in collaboration with the Department of Health and pharmacy system vendors. Work is currently underway to validate the data extracts from the PMR based CCS solutions of each of the vendors to ensure they support the required data evaluation.
Supporting pharmacies to expand their contribution to broader sexual health services, the opportunity for pharmacies to participate in the National Condom Distribution Service will commence in April 2026. It will be rolled out on a phased basis, starting April 2026, to all community pharmacies who have signed up to the Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025. When a pharmacy falls within the relevant phase, they will be contacted directly by the HSE and invited to participate in the service. Further details of the NCDS application process, including service terms and conditions will be provided at the time of invitation. Once a pharmacy has been approved by the HSE Sexual Health Programme as an NCDS provider, they will be able to order stocks of condoms and/or lubricant sachets from healthpromotion.ie.
An article outlining the service and the process by which pharmacies can participate was published in the March edition of the IPU Review. This has been followed up in March with the issuing of Circular NCO-06-2026 and a ‘Letter of Invitation’ to the first cohort of pharmacies being invited to participate in the service.
IPU Community Pharmacy Committee (CPC) together with HSE Health and Wellbeing (HSE H&W) have agreed the following public health campaigns to be supported across the community pharmacy network as part of the commitments outlined in the CPA25:
An overview article in this edition of the IPU highlights the overall objectives and principles that will apply to this joint initiative. At the time of going to print HSE H&W were also planning to issue a Circular introducing the initiative.
To support members in activating the Pregnancy and Alcohol campaign an overview of the initiative is provided in this edition of the IPU Review. Further communication in the form of a webinar outlining the campaign and a partner pack containing all key messages and associated promotional assets will be provided in advance of campaign commencement.
To support evaluation of each campaign and ongoing delivery in practice, pharmacies will be required to complete a brief end-of-campaign survey.
Under CPA25 community pharmacists will be facilitated to support the increased uptake of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) by providing PPV 23 vaccination to healthy over-65-year-olds who are eligible. Work is ongoing 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. Pharmavax system changes are currently in development.
The proposal for the nationwide service for unused medicines return and disposal through community pharmacies is currently being reviewed by a stakeholder group to assess feasibility and scope. Considerations include logistics, health and safety and communications for members of the public.
Community pharmacists and their teams continue to engage in ongoing training and development to ensure ongoing evidence-based practice aligned with national priorities. To support this, the pharmacy training grant will be uplifted to €3,060 per pharmacy. For the first time a contribution towards the time cost required to provide study leave for pharmacists to undertake required training will be a feature of the grant as will reimbursement for the cost of mandatory reference texts. A more streamlined digital process for claims to be processed under the training grant is in development.
To begin preparations for the implementation of the Contraception Service the Community Pharmacy Expansion Implementation Oversight Group is being reconvened in April 2026.
An initial meeting with the HSE National Screening Service took place in March to discuss the options for progressing phase 1 of service implementation — education of pharmacy teams and engagement in health promotion activity. The initial focus will be on ensuring pharmacists and their teams are trained to provide clear and accurate information on BowelScreen to support programme participation.
Section 4.3 of CPA25 includes commitments to modernise prescription management and reduce unnecessary administrative burden, while maintaining regulatory safeguards.
The work of the Electronic Record Keeping Implementation Group continued through March with the development of draft legislation to allow certain pharmacy records to be maintained electronically. The PSI have produced Revised Draft PSI Guidelines on Record Keeping in a Retail Pharmacy Business. A request for approval from PSI Council to proceed with a public consultation in relation to the draft Guidance will go to the Council at their public meeting on 26 March.
Digital integration remains a central pillar of CPA25, supporting both service expansion and system efficiency.
The IPU is working with the HSE to support the rollout of the National Medicinal Product Catalogue (NMPC) in a way that fits with existing pharmacy systems. This approach is intended to make implementation as straightforward as possible for pharmacies.
Further details from the HSE are expected in April, which will help inform the next steps for system development and rollout.
Work to introduce the Individual Health Identifier (IHI) in community pharmacy systems is progressing on a phased basis, led by the HSE. A pilot is currently underway, with initial results showing successful integration in participating pharmacies.
As the programme expands, there will be a continued focus on ensuring patient details are accurate to support reliable matching. Further enhancements are planned to allow systems to access IHIs more directly.
The IHI is an important step in supporting future services such as ePrescribing and the National Shared Care Record.
The IPU continues to engage with the HSE on the National ePrescription Service (NePS), with regular updates as the programme progresses.
The procurement process is ongoing, with contract award currently expected later in 2026.
The Pharmacy System Vendor Engagement Forum is now established as the primary structure for engagement between community pharmacy system vendors and national stakeholders.
The forum includes representation from pharmacy system vendors (McLernons, Touchstore, Navi and Lanos), the IPU, the Department of Health, the PSI, HSE Health Identifiers Service, HSE National Shared Care Record team, HSE Technology and Transformation, and the PCRS. The forum meets regularly to discuss implementation issues, technical dependencies and upcoming initiatives affecting pharmacy systems.
The forum provides a structured mechanism to:
The IPU chairs and facilitates the forum and acts as the primary point of engagement between community pharmacy system vendors and national stakeholders, ensuring that developments under CPA25 and wider digital health programmes are communicated clearly and progressed in a coordinated way.
Clare Fitzell
Secretary General, IPU
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