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Medicines And Road Safety To Be Key Issue at Third National Pharmacy Summit
Date: 30 October 2008
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, (PSI), the statutory regulator for pharmacists and pharmacies, is to focus on the issue of medicines and road safety at the third National Pharmacy Summit which is to be held in Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin on November 4.
Speaking today as the PSI announced details of the summit which is to hear from an international expert on the topic, PSI President, Dr Bernard Leddy said the Irish pharmacy profession has a key role to play in this respect. “Pharmacists are the healthcare professional at the point of supply of medicines, in effect the last qualified input before a person takes a prescribed or a non-prescription medicine. The issue of medicines and driving has become an area of great concern from a safety perspective. Certain medicines, both prescribed or non-prescription medicines from your pharmacy, may impair your ability to drive safely and it is becoming more apparent that pharmacists have a growing part to play in highlighting this and informing patients of the risks involved.”
“People who drive professionally or otherwise must be made aware that their medication may affect mental alertness, co-ordination and therefore driving skills - they must understand how to manage this. We would actively encourage the public to always use their pharmacist as a resource to advise them on medicine intake but even more so with regard to the use of medicines while driving. Road safety is the responsibility of everyone in society both in Ireland and across Europe and pharmacists have a key role to play in this respect. This will be a key discussion point at this year’s summit.”
The Minister for Health & Children, Mary Harney, TD will also speak at the event, which begins at 2pm.
The summit this year will once again emphasise the significant changes the new legislation is having on pharmacy practice but will specifically address this issue of medicines and driving in the context of ongoing concerns over road safety. The issue of pharmacy and risk management will also be explored at the summit, as will the role of the pharmacist in pharmacovigilance and monitoring the safety of medicines on the market. There will also be a discussion on developing a code of ethics in a profession undergoing unprecedented change.
This year’s event features an array of established international speakers from the pharmacy sector. Dr Han De Gier will present on ‘Medicines and Driving: How to improve information for patients and health care professionals’, while Dr Catherine Duggan will discuss ‘Pharmacy and Risk Management: Policy, Evidence and Practice’. ‘The Role of the Pharmacist in Pharmacovigilance – A Regulator’s Perspective’ will be the topic of the presentation from Dr Almath Spooner of the Irish Medicines Board, and this will be followed by Professor Joy Wingfield who will explore ‘Moving Morality: Developing a Pharmacy Code of Ethics’.
There will be a Question & Answer sessions following each presentation. Refreshments will be served around 5.30pm.
If you are interested in attending, please email info@pharmaceuticalsociety.ie to register your intention to attend.
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