World Pharmacists Week: Statements (Resumed)

I thank Deputy Toole for her very informative contribution. I know she has expertise in this area. I thank her for her commitment and the work she does. I thank the Members of the House for their contributions. I also thank our hospital and community pharmacists for their work in delivering the significant reforms we have seen across Irish pharmacy over recent months and years. Every day, pharmacists provide safe and effective medicines, care and support for patients managing their health. They deliver trusted healthcare advice and services in communities and hospitals throughout the country. Today's discussion has highlighted how significantly the profession has evolved in recent years. When we speak about pharmacy today, we are speaking about much more than the supply of medicines; we are speaking about highly-skilled healthcare professionals who are providing clinical care, supporting disease prevention, promoting public health, improving access to services and helping people to manage their health closer to home. Across the community and hospital settings pharmacists are making an increasingly important contribution to patient care. They are among the most trusted and accessible healthcare professionals in Ireland. Every day, they support patients, families and communities through their expertise, professionalism and commitment to high-quality care. We are seeing important development throughout hospital pharmacies. The advanced specialty pharmacist role introduced in September 2024, recognised the expertise and increasingly specialised contribution of senior hospital pharmacists. The first appointment was made in 2025, with a ward specialist pharmacist providing expert clinical pharmacy and medicine optimisation advice in areas such as oncology, intensive care and paediatrics. The expert taskforce has recommended that we build on these expertise through the development over the coming years of models of pharmacists prescribing in hospital settings, supported by the necessary clinical and regulated enablers. This represents another important opportunity to make better use of pharmacists' expertise to support patients and the wider health service. We have also seen substantial progress in community pharmacies. Over the past year, community pharmacists have successfully delivered a range of new services in addition to their core role in dispensing medicines, counselling patients, and supporting the safe and appropriate use of medicines. Pharmacy continues to evolve, with pharmacists playing an increasingly important role in medicine optimisation, disease prevention, vaccination programmes and the delivery of new patient services. Almost exactly a year on from the community pharmacy agreement 2025, several new pharmacy services have been reformed and introduced over the past year, demonstrating what can be achieved when Government, the health service and professionals work together with a shared ambition to improve services for patients. Most importantly, these reforms are delivering real benefit for patients such as faster access to care, more services closer to home and better use of the skills and expertise of the pharmacists. I acknowledge the commitment and collaboration of pharmacists, the HSE, our regulator, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, the Irish Pharmacy Union and our wider healthcare partners in making progress possible. These developments reflect the expanding role of pharmacy within the health service and demonstrates the Government's commitment to delivering faster care closer to home, improving access for patients, and reducing pressures across the wider health service. Ireland faces significant healthcare challenges in the year ahead. An ageing population, increasing levels of chronic disease, and growing demand for services will require all healthcare professionals to contribute to the fullest extent of their knowledge, skills and expertise. Pharmacists will be central to meeting those challenges. Our work does not stop with what has already been delivered. The recent appointment of the chief pharmaceutical officer in the Department of Health demonstrates the Government's commitment to strengthening the role of pharmacy in healthcare delivery. As healthcare needs continue to evolve, pharmacists will remain central to improving access to care, supporting public health and helping people to achieve better health outcomes throughout Ireland. The chief pharmaceutical officer will provide strategic leadership and evidence-based advice to support the continued evaluation of pharmacy and pharmaceutical care in Ireland. In the near future, another important pharmacy service, the contraception prescribing service, will be introduced. This service will enable pharmacists to provide prescriptions for specific forms of contraception to women aged 17 years and over, following an initial prescription. The primary legislation to enable this service, the Health (Provision of Contraceptive Prescribing Service in Retail Pharmacy Business) Act 2026, has been signed into law. Work is ongoing on the necessary secondary legislation. Patients aged 17 to 35, who qualify for free contraceptive schemes, will also be able to avail of free pharmacist consultations, prescription extensions through the contraception prescribing services. I want us to continue creating conditions in which pharmacists can practice at the top of their profession, supported by appropriate governance, education, digital integration and multidisciplinary working. I want to see pharmacists continue to play an expanding role in prevention, chronic disease management, and the delivery of care closer to home. Pharmacists make an important contribution to pharmaceutical care, better patient outcomes, and the strength and resilience of our health service. The Government is committed to ensuring that contribution continues to grow. That ambition is consistent with the vision of Sláintecare, a health service that is more accessible, integrated and centred on the needs of patients. We have listened carefully to the issues raised in the House today and I thank Members for their thoughtful contributions. To every pharmacist, pharmacy technician, pharmacy team member, educator, researcher and leader working across our health services, I express my sincere thanks for your dedication and commitment. The future of healthcare in Ireland will depend on making the best possible use of the talents of all of our healthcare professionals. Pharmacists have demonstrated time and again that they are ready to meet that challenge. There is so much that has already been achieved but there is also much more we can do. By continuing to work together, we can support pharmacists to make the fullest possible contribution to patient care and build a more accessible, responsive and sustainable health service. Every patient benefits from this change. I look forward to continuing that work with the pharmacy professions, healthcare partners and the Members of this House for the benefit of patients and communities across Ireland.