A new White Paper, published by The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), has outlined a policy framework to transform pharmacy care in this country by turning pharmacies into key healthcare hubs, improving access to community care. The IPU says with the right strategy and resources, pharmacies can play a greater role in improving access to community healthcare.
Speaking on World Pharmacist Day, Tom Murray, President of the IPU, said, “With 78 million visits per year, pharmacies are the most accessed part of our healthcare system. However, the absence of a national pharmaceutical care policy limits their potential.”
The IPU White Paper, ‘Key Enablers for a Sustainable Pharmacy’, focuses on the areas of expanding pharmacy services, refocusing on patients and most importantly, keeping pharmacies open by addressing under resourcing.
“A central recommendation of the Expert Taskforce on the Future of Pharmacy Services, which we would hope to see implemented as soon as possible, is allowing pharmacists to prescribe medications for common conditions. With appropriate resourcing and an implementation plan, this service will allow pharmacists to prescribe medication directly for patients and facilitate quicker access to care.”
The IPU is also calling for:
• An expansion of the range of vaccines that can be administered in a pharmacy.
• The introduction of chronic disease management services to complement existing clinical care pathways.
• Oral contraception to be available through consultation with a pharmacist. “These are not new schemes or ideas;
they are tried and tested and functioning well in other countries,” Mr Murray said.
Mr Murray called for the recruitment of a Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) to lead and represent the sector at a national level to be accelerated. “The appointment of a CPO, as exists in many other countries and as recommended in the recent Expert Taskforce report, would provide strategic leadership, and ensure representation and involvement of the pharmacy profession at the highest level nationally.”
