Community pharmacists are an important part of the fabric and community of every town and village, with the IPU’s own research showing that 87 per cent of Irish adults have been in a pharmacy in the past month. This level of engagement with a healthcare provider is unmatched and a clear indication of the public’s trust. For patients it is not just about convenience, it is about relationships built on years of dedicated service.

When I spoke at the IPU conference in Kilkenny I set out my vision for sustainable reform and expansion of your services to future-proof pharmacists’ role in health services through diversification and service expansion. We have already seen that in areas like vaccination, when we ask our community pharmacists to get involved, they step-up and the result is increased access for patients and the alleviation of pressure in other areas of our health services.

That is why I, and officials in my Department, were really pleased to complete the Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025 with the IPU recently.

This Agreement marks a new chapter for community pharmacy in Ireland, and I thank the IPU for their collaborative approach to these negotiations. They have been a strong advocate for the profession, and this Agreement demonstrates what can be achieved when we work together in partnership.

We know patients want timely access to care in their own communities. That is why, particularly at an acute hospital level, I am putting such an emphasis on productivity and the importance of consistency for our patients as they engage with our services. We must do better, and we can. Strategic shifts in approach, like the Community Pharmacy Agreement, will mean that we are better utilising our existing network and freeing up capacity in other pressured areas of our healthcare services.

The expansion of services particularly in areas like BowelScreen will make a real and meaningful impact on improved efficiency, patient outcomes and delivery of care closer to home, a core tenant of the Sláintecare vision.

As you know, I have set out my ambition consistently for your role in our wider healthcare service and the many ways we can grow and expand it to better support patients but also to build capacity within our health services. The Common Conditions Service will have a real impact on how we deliver primary care in Ireland and will, for the first time, allow pharmacists to prescribe for a defined list of common conditions, enabling patients to be seen faster and to have more convenient access to treatment. A health service that is responsive and available to patients when they need them across all seven days is a particular interest of mine, an area where our pharmacies lead from the front, thank you.

This new Agreement with new funding models, training supports and the Strategic Collaboration Group is not just a strategic agreement but an important one. There will be challenges and I commit to working with you on those.

What I have done in my role as Minister for Health since January is to acknowledge the evolving and vital role of pharmacists and to lay the groundwork for a more integrated, accessible, and resilient health service.

Together, we are building a service that not only responds to those who need it most but does so in a way that puts the patient at the centre, because pharmacists are rooted in every community that they serve.