I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, to delete line 5 and substitute the following: “An Act to amend the Health Act 1970, the Irish Medicines Board Act 1995; the Pharmacy Act 2007; the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 and the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023; and to”. The amendment concerns the addition of the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 to the Long Title. The Department is now moving towards commencement of the Patient Safe…

I move amendment No. 2: In page 5, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following: “Amendment of section 59 of Act of 1970 6. Section 59 of the Act of 1970 is amended in subsection (1A), by the substitution of “a registered medical practitioner, registered dentist or registered pharmacist” for “a registered medical practitioner or registered dentist”.”. Section 59 of the Act concerns drugs, medicines and appliances. In introducing prescribing activity for pharmacists through these amendments, it is prudent to inclu…

I move amendment No. 3: In page 9, to delete lines 11 and 12. This group of three amendments will provide that the Minister for Health may make regulations for prescribing for common and uncomplicated conditions in retail pharmacy businesses, also called community pharmacies. Amendment No. 3 is purely technical in nature. It removes textual amendments to section 32(2)(l) of the Irish Medicines Board Act 1995 in order to accommodate new provisions. There are no implications for the Bill beyond this. Amendment No. 4 …

I thank the Deputy. I agree with what she said about the need to maximise capacity and the strong relationship between the customer, or sometimes the patient, and the pharmacist. We normally return to the same pharmacy, especially in smaller communities. What we are referring to in the Bill currently are what we call common conditions, including some of those the Deputy referred to, such as blood pressure, weight management and things like that. Regarding chronic illnesses, this states, "The Minister shall, within …

The current amendments will not facilitate the chronic disease management role. The amendment the Deputy tabled, which I think might be No. 7, was seeking a report on the role of pharmacists in that respect.

It has been ruled out of order. It states, "The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on expanding the role of pharmacists in chronic disease management." That is where we want to get to. It is really important. At the moment, what is included in this legislation is what is called common conditions as opposed to chronic illness and conditions.

The Minister wants to take it forward, like the Deputy said, with regard to chronic illness. It is just the timing of the pharmacy task force considering the services offered by pharmacists in other jurisdictions. This states, "The Minister shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on expanding the role of pharmacists in chronic disease management." The Deputy has been asking for that.

The Minister is saying that.

I move amendment No. 4: In page 9, to delete lines 13 to 15 and substitute the following: “(III) by the insertion of the following subparagraphs after subparagraph (iii): “(iv) subject to subsection (11A), such medicinal product or class of medicinal products as may be used for the purpose of treating mild or moderate illnesses or ailments, pursuant to a prescription issued by a registered pharmacist— (I) who has reached the required standard of education and training in relation to prescribing medicinal products i…

I move amendment No. 5: In page 9, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following: “(b) by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (11): “(11A) Before making regulations under section 32(2)(l)(iv) or (v), the Minister shall consult the Health Service Executive and the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, and may consult any other person or body as he or she considers appropriate.”,”.

I thank the Deputy for her amendment, but at this time the Government does not propose to proceed with its inclusion. The Deputy will be aware that the Bill, as previously drafted, aimed to provide for regulations to be put in place to enable pharmacists to sell and supply certain prescription products in line with protocol, and this aimed to facilitate the sale and supply of oral contraceptive pills on that basis. However, oral contraceptive pills will now be included in what can be prescribed by pharmacists worki…

I have just been informed that the aim is to move the secondary legislation as soon as possible and that will include what the Deputy's ask entails. It is the aim of the Department to move that as a priority.

There is no timeframe.

I move amendment No. 8: In page 12, after line 22, to insert the following: “PART 4 AMENDMENT OF PHARMACY ACT 2007 Amendment of Pharmacy Act 2007 10. The Pharmacy Act 2007 is amended— (a) in section 7(1)— (i) by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (a): “(a) to regulate the profession of pharmacy in the State, including prescribing by pharmacists, having regard to the need to protect, maintain and promote the health and safety of the public,”, and (ii) in paragraph (d), by the insertion of “in …

I move amendment No. 9: In page 12, after line 22, to insert the following: “PART 5 Amendment of Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 Amendment of Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 11. The Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013 is amended in section 2 — (a) in the definition of “prescriber”, by the substitution of “(a), (b), (c) or (d)” for “(a), (b) or (c)”, and (b) in the definition of “prescription”— (i) in paragraph (b)(iii), by the substitution of “order,” fo…

I move amendment No. 10: In page 12, after line 22, to insert the following: “PART 6 AMENDMENT OF PATIENT SAFETY (NOTIFIABLE INCIDENTS AND OPEN DISCLOSURE) ACT 2023 Amendment of Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 12. The Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 is amended— (a) in section 19(7), by the substitution of “the patient or the relevant person (or both of them) may” for “the patient may”, and (b) in section 50(7), by the substitution of “the patient…

I thank the Deputies. I was pleased to bring these amendments forward today. As was said earlier, pharmacists are an easily accessible, highly trained and regulated valuable health resource. The value and capability they bring has been clearly evidenced in the role they played throughout the pandemic, ensuring continuity of patient care and helping to maximise access to vaccinations. Patients value the expertise of pharmacists and trust in pharmacists is at an all-time high. The Minister appointed the expert task f…

I thank Senator Burke for raising this important matter. I acknowledge the vital healthcare role Sacred Heart Hospital plays and the excellent level of care and support it provides to residents and their families in the Castlebar community and surrounding areas. The Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar is registered with HIQA for the provision of 74 long-term beds. The hospital also has 26 rehabilitation beds. These beds offer an extremely important service as we seek to maximise the functional capacity of older peop…

It is important to put it into context. Bed management is extremely important. Even though the Senator said there is room for another bed, to do so, there also needs to be the nursing staff and health and social care workers to provide that support. Currently, there are 74 long-term beds in the hospital, the majority of which I assume are under the fair deal scheme. That is to support older people to be able to age in a community nursing hospital when they can no longer be cared for at home. The Senator is possibly…

I thank the Deputy for raising this really important issue, which has been raised previously on the floor of the Dáil. Public health nurses for young people, young babies and older people are hugely important the length and breadth of the country. We have been challenged, especially in areas of County Dublin and the city, in being able to facilitate the employment of public health nurses. This has been raised with the Department of Health and the HSE. They are actively trying to recruit into these areas. I think ev…