What we do
PSI - The Pharmacy Regulator is a public body established in law to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of patients and the public by regulating pharmacists and pharmacies in Ireland.
Our role and responsibilities
Our principal function is to ensure patient safety and public protection. We are committed to carrying out our work independently, ethically and transparently.
The Pharmacy Act 2007 (as amended) established the role and responsibilities of the PSI, which include:
- Registration of pharmacists, pharmaceutical assistants and pharmacies;
- Setting standards for pharmacy education and training and ensuring all registered pharmacists are undertaking appropriate continuing professional development (CPD);
- Promoting good professional practice by pharmacists by raising standards and sharing information for the benefit of patients and the wider health system;
- Conducting fieldwork to assess how pharmacies comply with pharmacy and medicines law and, where necessary, act to address poor performance and/or unsafe practices. We have developed a regulatory risk statement to recognise and respond appropriately to risks and potential harms that relate to our area of accountability in pharmacy.
- Consideration of formal complaints made against a pharmacist or a pharmacy, including imposing sanctions;
- Providing advice, support and guidance to the public, the pharmacy profession and the Government on pharmacy care, treatment and services in Ireland.
Aligned to our values, we strive to carry out our work to a high standard, leading by example, and by working in collaboration with others.
Working with others
Engagement with all those who are interested, impacted or affected by our role is important to us.
We undertake regular public consultations, inviting the opinion and input of our stakeholders in the work we are undertaking. We are evolving how we include the voice of patients and the public in our work.
We are actively engaged across the pharmacy and regulatory environment. We have a Pharmacist Panel in place with representation from across registered pharmacists to collaborate with us to inform our work. We also have Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with a range of organisations. These partnerships support effective collaboration and alignment in healthcare regulation.
Commitment to innovation and improvement
We continue to strive for improvement, innovation and efficiency in what we do.
We are transforming how we deliver our services through a comprehensive Business Transformation Programme, enhancing efficiency and embracing new technologies to improve access to our services and regulatory outcomes.
We are dedicated to continuous improvement and have achieved a 4-star rating under the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Model and will seek our next phase of accreditation in 2025.
