merrion street

Thursday, 2nd February 2012

Good morning,

I’m delighted to be in Dublin Castle to launch the National Forum for Pharmacy Education & Accreditation and the new Irish Institute for Pharmacy.

Thank you to Paul Fahy, Dr Ambrose McLoughlin and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland Council for inviting me.  This conference is the result of a large body of work, including two major reviews, coming to fruition to the benefit of both pharmacists and their patients alike.

Pharmacists – whether they are working in the community, hospitals, pharmaceutical industry or as interns - play a very important role in the delivery of healthcare in Ireland.

For many, community pharmacists are the most accessible and visible of our healthcare professionals and are often the first port of call for advice whether its how to treat a sick child with a temperaturen or how to help an elderly relative who is having difficulty managing complex medication regimen.

In our hospitals, pharmacists ensure the safe supply of medication and are an integral part of a multi-disciplinary team on our wards.

The 2007 Pharmacy Act introduced significant developments in pharmacy education and training and in particular, brought in mandatory Continuing Professional Development for pharmacists.

Pharmacists are no different from all other healthcare professionals. CPD is essential. Pharmacist roles vary a great deal but as practices change and improve, it is necessary to create a CPD system that will support improvements in both professional practice and in patient care.

So now five years on from the Act, I welcome the new pharmacy model for CPD which will assist the positioning of Ireland at the forefront of pharmacy innovation and education internationally.

And it is the newly established Irish Institute for Pharmacy that will provide the platform for the further development of the pharmacy profession.

The new Institute will be a terrific resource.

I understand from Dr. Barry White, who heads the HSE’s Clinical Care Programmes, that the establishment of the Institute has been eagerly anticipated.

The Irish Institute for Pharmacy will join with the other professional bodies as a key partner in the clinical programmes, of which pharmacists have already been appointed.  Their role will be to support the programmes in their drive to ensure the safe and cost effective use of medicines.

2012 is going to be a very challenging year for our health services. The HSE will be working on a reduced budget, less staff yet with increased demand for services.  So for us – the government, the patient, the pharmacist – business as usual will not do.

We have to change the way we deliver healthcare. We have to ensure the system is fair and is on the patient’s side.

This is why I, and the government as a whole, supports the Minister for Health in his determination to accelerate the health reform programme during 2012 and his intention to introduce innovative and more efficient ways of using reducing resources.   

Primary care is key.

Since coming into Government, the Minister for Health has expressed his concern that primary care is not where it should be. One of his key priorities, as part of his reform programme, is to ensure that all Primary Care Teams are fully functional.  While this cannot be done overnight, progress can and will be made in 2012.

Indeed, the provision of integrated services where you can have access to the GP, Public Health Nurse, physiotherapy, visiting hospital consultants among other services all in the same building is the kind of service the public wants and deserves, and it is the way forward.

The appointment of a Minister of State, Roisin Shortall, to drive reform in this area is testament to the Government’s commitment to primary care.

In recent years, community pharmacists, who are at the coalface of primary care, have broadened their range of services. They now provide flu vaccinations, advice on healthy eating, support with smoking cessation and continue, most importantly, to advise and support patients to manage their medications.   

I know that Minister Shortall and Minister Reilly are very supportive of a further expansion in the role of the community pharmacy into areas such as chronic disease management and health screening.  This may include conditions such as Type II diabetes which is increasing in our population at an alarming rate.

In holding today’s Forum, the PSI aims to create a new 5 year integrated pharmacy Masters degree across the three schools of pharmacy in Ireland (Trinity College, UCC, Royal College of Surgeons). Through this, it is hoped that newly qualified pharmacists will be more clinically-focused and positioned to play a critical role in the delivery of future integrated healthcare services in Ireland, both in primary and secondary care.

The three schools of Pharmacy already have strong relationships with the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland. And I understand that the new integrated qualification could offer closer cooperation with the industry.

This is very much in line with the government’s policy of creating strong partnerships with industry and collaborative links with our Universities.

2013 will be a big year for you. And for the tourism and hospitality industry.

Ireland has been selected to host the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) World Congress from August 31

to September 5

2013 in the Convention Centre in Dublin.   

This is the largest international pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences conference – with 5,000 delegates.

The FIP and Ireland’s EU Presidency will be major opportunities to promote our international reputation.  

The PSI, and others, will be working closely with the organising committee.

 I gather you’ve already started a world-wide promotion and marketing campaign.

 In conclusion, I wish you success in the National Forum discussions today and in the work of the Institute for Pharmacy going forward.

 I also would like to congratulate the efforts of the PSI in bringing pharmacy education and training in line with international best practice.

It is to the immense benefit of both practitioner and patient.