The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) – The Pharmacy Regulator has published its annual report for 2022, outlining the significant work undertaken by the regulatory authority to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of patients and the public by regulating pharmacists and pharmacies in Ireland.
PSI Registrar and Chief Officer Joanne Kissane
The report provides an overview of the work carried out in line with the regulator’s remit and current corporate strategy to ensure pharmacy care and services are regulated to a high standard in Ireland.
Key activities for PSI during 2022 included:
• Continued engagement with the Department of Health on proposals to advance reform of the Pharmacy Act 2007
• 7,067 pharmacists were registered to practise by year end – highest ever number on the Register of Pharmacists
• An 83% increase (compared to 2021) in pharmacists registering from EU (European Union), UK and other non-EU routes
• The launch of the first ever pharmacy workforce survey as part of a multi- stakeholder project to assess the emerging risks to continued availability of pharmacists in Ireland
• Approval of a new Core Competency Framework for pharmacists
• PSI’s ongoing collaboration with Department of Health and others to evolve the legislative framework, and ensure the availability of accredited training for pharmacists, to facilitate the continued, significant involvement of pharmacists in the administration of 635,475 Covid-19 vaccines in 2022
Commenting on the publication of the annual report, PSI Registrar and Chief Officer Joanne Kissane said, “The report reflects on the current operating environment for pharmacists and pharmacies and the regulatory work undertaken to ensure that the highest standard of care remains at the centre of pharmacy healthcare delivery. It also highlights the range of strategic activities we are seeking to progress to ensure our regulatory framework remains both robust and responsive to meet current and future regulatory and healthcare needs.”
There were 7,067 pharmacists registered with the pharmacy regulator at the end of last year, continuing the year-on- year increase to the Register of Pharmacists in Ireland (with 7,180 pharmacists registered at the end of May 2023). Of the volume of pharmacists registered, there was an 83% increase, in comparison to 2021, with pharmacists registering from the EU (European Union), UK and other non-EU routes. At 1,981, the number of pharmacies in the state remained stable on the previous year.
“Given the challenges within healthcare and for pharmacy, the increase in the number of pharmacists is to be welcomed, with a return to pre-pandemic levels of registration activity noticeable for the PSI during 2022.
“The increase in the number of registered pharmacists corresponds with an increase in queries and applications about registering to work as a pharmacist in Ireland, and our ongoing work to process these requests and to continue to streamline processes, such as the route to registration for non-EU/EEA pharmacists.
“Overall, the PSI’s focus remains on ensuring that pharmacists available to practice in Ireland can provide quality, safe healthcare and that the profession maintains these high standards.”
During 2022, 53 complaints about pharmacists or pharmacies were received, representing a 33% reduction in formal complaints received from the public, in comparison to the previous year. Of the complaints reviewed last year by the regulator’s Preliminary Proceedings Committee (PPC), the complaint screening committee, 13 were referred for further action, which can include referral to an inquiry or for mediation.
Ensuring a robust, transparent, and streamlined process to facilitate the public and pharmacy profession to raise concerns and bring forward complaints is a critical function of the regulator’s work.
“It is critical that as a regulatory authority we strive to attain and maintain the highest standards possible in all aspects of our work, and particularly regarding responding to issues of concerns, queries and complaints raised by members of the public and pharmacy profession.”
The report also highlights the developments in relation to the reform of the Pharmacy Act 2007 and engagement with Department of Health on this issue. Commenting on the position paper submitted to the Department of Health during 2022, Joanne Kissane said,
“As the regulatory body for pharmacy, we are extremely conscious of the need to reform elements of the Pharmacy Act which has played a critical role in creating an assurance framework for patients and the public to access safe, quality, pharmacy services.
“Our approach centres on ensuring legislation is fit to support effective regulation into the future, and for the overall benefit of patients and the public. To that end, we were pleased to submit a position paper to the Department of Health in 2022, highlighting the need for reform, articulating the challenges in the current legislative framework and the opportunities presented through reform. We look forward to continued engagement with the Department of Health on this matter.”
The report reflects the significance of the regulator’s role in setting and assuring standards for pharmacy education in Ireland and the importance the regulator places upon continuing professional development (CPD) throughout a pharmacist’s career. A specific area of focus in 2022 was the completion of a review in relation to the Core Competency Framework, which underpins the pharmacy curriculum delivered by the Schools of Pharmacy in Ireland and provides structure and guidance for pharmacists’ CPD.
There were also advances in relation to the multi-stakeholder project to assess the risks to the future pharmacy workforce, which is taking a medium to long-term view of the factors influencing future workforce availability, the output of which will be a workforce intelligence report.
This project commenced in 2022, with the establishment of a multi-stakeholder working group and the first ever workforce survey. This survey will be administered annually by the PSI. It will provide an important baseline picture of the current pharmacy workforce and inform future discussions and planning. Participation in the project’s working group is drawn from organisations across the health and the pharmacy sector who, importantly, will be key to ensuring the implementation of the recommendations contained in this project’s concluding report.
Reflecting on the regulator’s ongoing work, Joanne said, “The pharmacy profession and operating environment is continuously evolving, and it is important that all changes are underpinned by a robust regulatory framework, to ensure public and patient trust in pharmacy healthcare and to also ensure pharmacy is part of a fully integrated healthcare system.
“As always, we will continue to work collaboratively and engage positively and constructively with all health stakeholders as part of the broader healthcare system.”
