Significant Challenges
Pharmacists in Ireland face significant challenges impacting their ability to provide high-quality services. Key concerns include an increasing workload, limitations in the current pharmacy fee structure, and ongoing medicine shortages. In addition, pharmacists are concerned about various legal and liability issues related to prescriptions, with 29% highlighting these as a pressing concern in our recent poll commissioned by Ireland Thinks.
In response to these challenges, the role of pharmacists has considerably evolved. The recent findings reveal that 61% of pharmacists reported that their workload has increased over the past decade. They are now increasingly responsible for providing direct patient care, navigate prescriptions while the Irish market continues to face a medicine shortage crisis in addition to the demands of their profession.
This is also an important context when considering the proposed expansion of powers for pharmacists in relation to issuing prescription, as outlined under The Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024. Existing difficulties outlined in our research point to a profession already overburdened within the existing applicable framework of responsibilities and powers, therefore the government must consult with pharmacists in order to ensure the full potential of expanded powers for –pharmacists are realised.
Commitment to Collaboration
Pharmacists are committed to collaborating with the government to meet the rising demand for their services, however they emphasize the need for governmental support. Listening to pharmacists’ insights will be essential for creating a sustainable model that allows for face-to-face patient interaction and a stable financial structure, ensuring long-term effectiveness in patient care.