Public consultation on Common Conditions Service and Continuation of Prescriptions for Contraception

About this public consultation

This consultation is about the proposed education and training and regulatory supports that will be available to pharmacists as part of the delivery of the Common Conditions Service and the Continuation of Prescriptions for Contraception Service in pharmacies. 

About the Common Conditions Service and the Continuation of Prescriptions for Contraception Service 

The Common Conditions Service will enable community pharmacists to provide advice and offer treatment for an initial eight common conditions in community pharmacies. Pharmacists already provide advice, over-the-counter treatment and/or referral for these conditions. The service will expand community pharmacists’ ability to manage these common conditions for patients by enabling them to supply certain prescription-only medicines in line with established clinical protocols, where this is the most appropriate option. 

In July 2023, the Minister for Health established an Expert Taskforce to Support the Expansion of the Role of Pharmacy in Ireland. One of the Taskforce recommendations is that pharmacists should be able to prescribe for a range of common conditions.  

Although not included in the recommendations of the Taskforce, a Continuation of Prescriptions for Contraception Service by pharmacists will also be introduced in tandem with the Common Conditions Service. 

For the first time in Ireland, pharmacists will be enabled to prescribe for a number of common conditions and continue prescriptions for contraception beyond 12 months. These new services in pharmacies aim to increase access to healthcare, reduce pressure on general practice, and enhance responsiveness of the healthcare system. 

Learn more about Common Conditions

Implementation

To support implementation of these services, the Minister for Health established a Community Pharmacy Expansion Implementation Oversight Group (IOG). This group is led by the Department of Health with input from other key stakeholders including the HSE, the PSI, the Health Products Regulatory Authority, the Irish Pharmacy Union, patient representatives and practising pharmacists. 

The Department of Health is progressing changes to relevant pharmacy and medicines legislation, to enable the delivery of these services.  

The Chief Medical Officer in the Department of Health and the HSE Chief Clinical Officer established a multi-disciplinary clinical sub-group (CSG) to develop clinical protocols for use in the service, based on the most up to date evidence and in line with national guidelines. 

The PSI’s role on the group, as the pharmacy regulator, is to ensure that pharmacists have the necessary education and training and other regulatory supports to deliver a safe and effective Common Conditions Service and Continuation of Prescriptions for Contraception Service for patients and the public. 

Proposed education and training and regulatory supports  

An approach to education and training for pharmacists to prescribe for the Common Conditions Service and Continuation of Prescriptions for Contraception Service has been approved by the IOG. This was informed by international comparator research conducted by PSI, as well as the advice on clinical considerations required for pharmacists training, as recommended by the HSE multi-disciplinary clinical sub-group.  

Pharmacists will be required to successfully complete self-directed, online, mandatory continuing professional development (CPD) modules, which will be available through the Irish Institute of Pharmacy (IIOP).  

Pharmacists will also be required to adhere to additional specific requirements that will be set out in relevant pharmacy and medicines legislation and PSI Guidelines. 

During this public consultation we are seeking feedback on: 

1. draft PSI Guidelines to Support the Provision of a Common Conditions Service and Continuation of Prescriptions for Contraception.
2. draft education and training rules to underpin the education and training for pharmacists as part of the delivery of these new services.   

You may comment on either or both of these documents.  

How can I provide feedback?

We would like to hear from anyone interested in, or impacted by, the draft guidelines and the draft rules. This includes pharmacists, pharmacy owners, patients and members of the public. 

You can provide your feedback by 5pm on Friday, 8 August in one of the following ways:

1. Online questionnaire

The fastest way to provide your feedback is by completing this consultation survey.

2. Email

You can also provide your feedback by email to pharmacypractice@psi.ie  

3. Post

Alternatively, you can send us your feedback by post to: Pharmacy Practice and Policy Team, PSI-The Pharmacy Regulator, PSI House, 15-19 Fenian Street, D02 TD72. 

What will we do with your feedback?

After the consultation closing date, the PSI will assess and collate all feedback. We will draft a consultation report that will be considered by the PSI Council and published later on our website. Any further changes proposed to the draft legislation and PSI Guidelines from the consultation feedback, will be reviewed and decided on by the PSI Council. 

Data Protection and Freedom of Information

The information provided to PSI consultations will be stored in a secure and confidential manner by the PSI, it will only be used for the purposes outlined and it will be deleted in line with the PSI’s record retention policy. After each public consultation we publish a consultation report on this website that contains a summary of comments received, the PSI response to those, and a list of any organisations that have given their feedback, where provided. Please note that submissions made to the PSI as part of public consultations are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014.