Speaking at the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) National Pharmacy Conference 2026, incoming IPU President Caoimhe McAuley spoke about previous Presidents: “Each one of them has shaped this Union,” she told the attendees, “through some negotiations that didn’t make the headlines, the relationships that were built over the years, and the groundwork that has made where we are today possible.”
However, she also discussed the financial difficulties that many pharmacists face, which she described as “not just a financial question, but a health equity question”. Ms McAuley said: “The pharmacies most at risk are in the communities that can least afford to lose them. Rural towns, disadvantaged urban areas, places where pharmacy is the most accessible touchpoint for miles around. A quality pharmacy service requires a sustainable pharmacy sector. Those two things are not in tension — they are the same argument. And we will be making it, clearly and without apology, to you Minister, to Government, to the Department, and to anyone else who needs to hear it.”
This emphasises the need to support pharmacies and pharmacists to work to the full extent of their abilities, she said.
This must be done in two ways: “First, the policy and funding environment needs to reflect the ambition — and that’s where this Union’s advocacy has to stay sharp and relentless,” said Ms McAuley.
“Second, our own house needs to be in order. Employee engagement is not a soft metric. A profession that doesn’t invest in the experience of the people working within it will not attract or keep the talent it needs.”
A full transcript of Ms McAuley’s address to the conference is available to read on the IPU website, ipu.ie/ipu-review-article/caoimhe-mcauley-elected-ipu-president/.
