Profession Briefed on Issues

Date: 28 June 2006

The practice of pharmacy has evolved significantly from the nineteenth to the twentieth century and reaching the twenty first century presents significant challenges and opportunities alike. No longer is pharmacy concerned solely with the accurate dispensing of medicines in accordance with the prescriber’s instructions, but rather it involves the pharmacist as the expert in medicines, advising on the safe, effective and rational use of those medicines, and advising how the drug therapy concerned might be adjusted to elicit better health outcomes for patients. Modern pharmacy practice is involved in irreversible care, practice and treatment regimes, that are vital to the health, safety and welfare of patients, and the general public.

This development of the role of the pharmacist needs to be recognised and provided for in the new Pharmacy Act. Instead of considering how the existing provisions can be amended to meet the changes wrought over nearly one hundred and thirty years, new legislation will need to provide for the future, pre-empting and planning for future initiatives and developments within the profession and the practice of pharmacy.

In order that this can be achieved, the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland has identified the new Pharmacy Act as needing to regulate the profession and practice of pharmacy in Ireland under three key headings as follows:

i) Registration of Pharmacists and Fitness to Practice Provision

ii) Provision of Pharmacy Services

iii) Governance of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland

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