It was obvious to all in attendance at the IPU’s National Pharmacy Conference on 27 April that there is huge momentum behind the Expert Taskforce on pharmacy, and they are empowered and intent on making positive change for Irish patients. In this article, Clare Fitzell, IPU Head of Strategic Policy, provides an update on the work of the Taskforce and the Health Minister’s recent announcement of pharmacist prescribing, as well as discussion at the conference on a ‘common conditions’ scheme.
The Role of the Expert Taskforce to support the expansion of the role of pharmacists continues to move at pace under the leadership and chairmanship of Dr Pat O’Mahony. Members who attended the IPU Annual Conference in April, would have had the pleasure of listening to his candid and frank keynote speech. What was clear to all in the audience, is that this is a Taskforce on a mission, and is anything but a talking shop.
As an example of this pace, we have seen the first recommendations of the Expert Taskforce made in November, already enacted with legislation in place for prescription extension from 1 March 2024. For a recommendation to become legislation in under four months, is exceptional and is reminiscent of the pace demonstrated by our stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic. For many of us more seasoned pharmacists, we have watched a series of excellently written, researched and commissioned reports, which outlined the role pharmacists could, and should, be undertaking to deliver patient care, sit on shelves gathering dust. It is thus clear that the intention of this Taskforce is to ensure that not only will it be making recommendations, but they are also resolute in seeing through their implementation.
Dr Pat O’Mahony outlined at the conference that it is the intention of the Taskforce to produce a series of further recommendations (approximately 25 further recommendations expected), which are to be sent to the Minister for Health for approval before the end of June. These recommendations are expected to outline a pathway for full prescriptive rights for pharmacists, and in Dr O’Mahony’s words, they will be seeking to implement these in a matter of months not years; the policy decision is set and as he sees it, the Taskforce has a role to see them implemented.
The implementation of recommendations of the Taskforce are being undertaken by a sub-committee, led by Joanne Kissane (Chief Officer and Registrar of the PSI) as Chair; this group has members from other medical regulators, the Department of Health and the HSE. There are two other sub-committees; a patient and public involvement sub-committee with the aim to ensure that the patient and public voice is heard and utilised in the Taskforce recommendations, and a research sub-committee. The research sub-committee has as its aim, to develop a research agenda to inform, enhance implementation of, and evaluate effectiveness of, the recommendations of the Expert Taskforce. These sub-committees are all focused on implementation, which is another clear indicator that Dr Pat O’Mahony is resolute in his mission that the Taskforce will achieve change, and pharmacists will soon be enabled to deliver more for patients across Ireland.
Pharmacist prescribing is an expected recommendation in the next round of recommendations made to the Minister, and again to ensure that pace and momentum continue, this has already gone to the Government for approval. In a press release published on 16 April, Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, announced that he had received Government approval to proceed with the drafting of a further amendment to the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024. This amendment will lay the groundwork for the introduction of pharmacist prescribing.
This amendment will make provision to allow the Minister to make subsequent primary legislation for the further expansion of the role of pharmacists. Dr Pat O’Mahony explained at the IPU conference, that due to all-party political support for this provision, they are hopeful that this Bill should pass all stages of the legislative process, and be enacted within a matter of months.
In making the announcement, Minister Donnelly said: “I am delighted to have secured Government approval to add an amendment to the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which will be introduced at Report Stage. The amendment will be an important first step in introducing pharmacist prescribing and enhancing the contribution that pharmacists make to our health services. I look forward to receiving the final report from the Expert Taskforce on Pharmacy soon. This report and this amendment will provide the fundamentals we need in place to move toward pharmacist prescribing.”
Minister Donnelly added: “There is work to be done before pharmacists can start prescribing, including the implementation of secondary legislation, regulatory changes and the development of training pathways for pharmacists. However, I think it is important to be ambitious and recognise the positives that expanding the role of pharmacists will bring for the pharmacy profession, the broader health service and patients.”
Dr Pat O’Mahony gave some insights at the conference as to what supports will be put in place to facilitate pharmacist prescribing but emphasised that this is still a work in progress. He did highlight the intention that any additional training required will be built into the undergraduate courses so that pharmacists of the future will qualify as prescribers, and that any additional training for those of us already qualified and registered, will take account of our extensive post qualification experience. This pathway to prescribing will be outlined in more detail in the next set of recommendations and it will be up to each practitioner to decide if they want to take onboard an expanded role, with a clear expectation that this will not be forced upon the profession, but will be made available to those who wish to take on a prescribing role.
Both the Minister for Health and Dr Pat O’Mahony outlined at the conference their shared ambition for a ‘common conditions’ service, and that work on implementation of the same is moving at pace. With finalisation of the conditions as the first step, and decisions on the formulary and supports required to follow. This will see greater access to treatment options for patients directly provided by pharmacists and is aligned to the principles of Sláintecare.
The IPU is supportive of this expanded role for community pharmacists and is working with our stakeholders to ensure that these recommendations are implemented in a practical way. The IPU is also ensuring that the funding model for these services will reflect the expertise and investment by pharmacists in the management of patient care.
More information will be provided, as it becomes available via both the IPU Review, and IPU Newsletters.
Clare Fitzell
Head of Strategic Policy, IPU
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