In a significant step toward enhancing the accessibility and efficiency of healthcare in Ireland, the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, released the Final Report of the Expert Taskforce to Support the Expansion of the Role of Pharmacy at a launch event held in the Department of Health on 14 August. The Report marks a major milestone in the recommendations to expand and empower pharmacists to play a more central role in patient care, particularly through the introduction of pharmacist prescribing for common conditions.
The final report from the Expert Taskforce is the culmination of extensive work since its establishment in July 2023. The Taskforce through these recommendations (see page XXX) has provided a comprehensive roadmap for the future of pharmacy in Ireland. The recommendations include enabling pharmacists to exercise independent prescriptive authority and developing models of pharmacist prescribing within both primary and secondary care settings.
The following are the principal recommendations from the Taskforce:
One of the key recommendations from the Expert Taskforce is the introduction of a new service, planned for launch in Q1 2025 as outlined in that allows community pharmacists to prescribe treatments for a defined list of common conditions, often referred to as minor ailments. The Taskforce has initially identified eight conditions that pharmacists will be authorised to treat:
This service will enable community pharmacists to manage these conditions by offering professional advice and, where necessary, prescribing prescription-only medicines through established protocols. The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) has been tasked with the role to oversee the training of pharmacists to ensure they are fully equipped to deliver this service, which is expected to roll out in early 2025.
Beyond the Common Conditions Service, the Taskforce has advocated for the development of broader models of pharmacist prescribing across the health service. It is thought that this could involve pharmacists managing more complex conditions within specific healthcare settings, a practice already established in countries like Canada and New Zealand.
At the launch event, Minister Donnelly expressed his support for the recommendations, stating that; “Pharmacists are highly trusted, highly accessible, and highly skilled professionals who are present in every town and village in Ireland. However, they are not yet being supported to work to their full potential”. The Minister emphasised the importance of this change, which is expected to alleviate some of the pressures currently facing GPs by allowing pharmacists to manage certain conditions independently.
A public consultation was undertaken by the Department of Health in June 2024, which showed strong support for many of the final recommendations, including 83 per cent of respondents in favour of a Common Conditions Service. This is in line with the IPU Behaviours and Attitude survey findings published in May this year.
The Chair of the Expert Taskforce, Dr Pat O’Mahony, and other members of the Taskforce, were rightly thanked and congratulated on the excellent evidence-based policy report and recommendations by both the Minister and the new Interim Chief Medical Officer, Mary Horgan at the launch event. IPU President, Tom Murray, has written to the Taskforce to commend them on their work and dedication shown throughout the last 12 months.
In a press release issued following the launch, the IPU welcomed the recommendations, with President Tom Murray saying; “The Taskforce and Minister Donnelly are to be commended for getting the process to this stage, however a lot of work still needs to be done before implementation can happen. This will require all stakeholders engaging in a collaborative way and agreeing the various protocols and addressing all funding issues.”
The Minister for Health has reached out to key stakeholders, including the PSI and the Irish Pharmacy Union, to form an implementation group aimed at ensuring the smooth and timely rollout of these services. The IPU has welcomed our involvement and the recognition that collaboration will be required to ensure any new sustainable models of service.
“The IPU have welcomed the report and the recommendations it contains but have emphasised the need for an appropriate funding model to deliver a sustainable pharmacy model for the future if these initiatives are to be a success.”
As the Department of Health prepares to implement these transformative changes, the role of pharmacists is set to expand significantly, providing patients with more timely, accessible, and effective healthcare services. These changes have long been advocated for by the IPU and are aligned to the numerous submissions made to the Department of Health over the last 10 years.
The IPU have welcomed the report and the recommendations it contains but have emphasised the need for an appropriate funding model to deliver a sustainable pharmacy model for the future if these initiatives are to be a success. In a message to members on the launch of the report, IPU President, Tom Murray outlined the IPU position: “During our engagement with the Department of Health, we have stressed that new health services will not be advanced without substantial progress in addressing our pay claim. We have also written to the Department of Health spelling out clearly, that we will be recommending to members not to deliver new services unless we consider that satisfactory progress is being made in respect to our pay claim.”
At the launch event, the Minister recognised the need for engagement with the IPU and our outstanding pay claim after the Budget. So, while we are on the cusp of a new future that recognises the key skills sets of pharmacists, the hard task of ensuring that the remuneration of these services and existing pharmacy services are sustainable into the future looks set to continue throughout the budgetary cycle. Given the importance of these new services and existing services to patients the IPU is committed to working collaboratively with the Department to reach a resolution that will see these services implemented and patient access to healthcare improved.
Further information on the Expert Taskforce and the full report can be found on the IPU website at ipu.ie > Pharmacy Services.
Clare Fitzell
MPSI, Head of Strategic Policy, IPU
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