The President of the Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU) today called on the Government to grant pharmacists the power to prescribe medicines in certain limited circumstances.
Dr Karl Hilton was speaking at a seminar on the role of community pharmacies in developing new healthcare strategies. The IPU represents over 1,400 community pharmacists across the country.
Dr Hilton said that the experience of pharmacists in the United Kingdom had demonstrated that extending limited prescribing powers to pharmacists could have a significant impact on reducing pressures on doctors surgeries and even A&E departments.
"We estimate that pharmacists have the potential to generate savings of over €100 million for the Department because of our central involvement in medicines management and health promotion," he said.
"What we want is the ability to deal with routine ailments which shouldn't necessitate a time-consuming visit to a doctor's surgery. Pharmacists are available in every community. They have exceptionally long opening hours and they are staffed by highly qualified and knowledgeable healthcare professionals," he added.
"In this day and age, it's ludicrous not to take full advantage of this and maximise the benefit which they can give to the healthcare system.
"We are entering a period of significant change and restructuring in the Irish healthcare system and we believe that pharmacists can and must be a crucial part of that change process," said Dr Hilton.
Mr. Ash Soni, president of the National Pharmaceutical Association in the United Kingdom said that pharmacists in half of primary care trusts there already have the power to prescribe for minor ailments.