By Michael McHale
Copyright imt
A common conditions service, allowing pharmacists to prescribe for certain ailments, will be open to patients ‘from late 2025 into early 2026’, the Department of Health has said.
Publishing a new agreement with community pharmacies, a statement said that the new prescribing facility fee-paying service with pharmacies entitled to charge a consultation fee. Medicines will be reimbursed by the State in line with community drugs schemes.
“This service will enable community pharmacists to manage common conditions by offering self-care advice, safety-netting, and, when appropriate, supplying certain over the counter (OTC) medicine(s) and prescribing prescription-only medicine(s) (POMs) through established protocols,” the statement said.
Under the common conditions service, pharmacists will be given the opportunity to undertake training that will allow them to prescribe for allergic rhinitis, cold sores, conjunctivitis, impetigo, oral thrush, shingles, vulvovaginal thrush, cystitis and uncomplicated UTIs.
The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has welcomed the new agreement, which includes and Government funding of €75 million across 2025 and 2026 to support fee adjustments, service development, and training.
In return, pharmacists will take part in a number of new initiatives. These include a role in supporting increased uptake of the Bowel cancer screening programme.
Under the agreement, pharmacies will be enabled to identify eligible BowelScreen patients based on age, to invite the person to participate in the programme, register them on the programme and order a FIT (Faecal Immunochemical Test) kit with a view to improving uptake of screening.
Community Pharmacists are also set to be able to supply short-acting reversible contraception as part of measured being progressed by the Community Pharmacy Expansion Implementation Oversight Group.
This will allow community pharmacists to conduct a clinical consultation with a patient and, where appropriate, continue a prescription for short acting reversible contraception in line with nationally developed protocols and regulations.
Pharmacists will also be called on to distribute free condoms to those at higher risk of HIV or STIs under the National Condom Distribution Service.
Elsewhere, a new national service will be established in 2026 which will enable patients to return their unused medicines to their local community pharmacy.
Vaccination in pharmacies will be expanded. Beginning later this year, community pharmacists will be able to administer the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) to healthy over 65-year-olds.
The Community Pharmacy Agreement also sets out a framework for collaboration between the State and community pharmacies to ensure the delivery of the Government’s digital healthcare plan, including participation in relevant digital reforms and initiatives such as the National ePrescribing Programme, shared care record, the HSE app, and electronic health record.
“This agreement marks a major step forward for community pharmacy and the patients we serve,” said IPU president Tom Murray.
“It brings long overdue investment, recognises the vital expertise of pharmacists, and opens the way for new and expanded services in every community in the country.”
“By strengthening the role of pharmacies, it makes healthcare more accessible and ensures patients get the care they need quickly and conveniently.”
“Pharmacists are medicine experts. This agreement puts that knowledge to work for patients making it easier to access more of the services they need, when they need them, in the convenience of their community pharmacy.”
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said: “This agreement will make it easier for people to access timely care in their communities. It reflects our shared commitment to innovation, public health, and sustainable investment. It will further support community pharmacies in diversifying their health service offerings, business models and revenue streams.”
Last August a report by the Community Pharmacy Expansion Implementation Oversight Group recommended that pharmacists be trained to be able to prescribe medicines for eight common conditions.
The news received a mixed response from medical professionals, with then IMO president Dr Denis McCauley telling IMT he has ‘grave difficulties’ with a number of the illnesses covered under the proposed new scheme.
