Public Consultations

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) carries out regular public consultations so that the opinion and input of our stakeholders is considered in the work we are undertaking.

The PSI, as the pharmacy regulator, acts to protect and promote the health, safety and well-being of patients and the public. Our vision is to ensure that pharmacy services are delivered in a competent, professional and ethical manner and in an appropriate environment, to the highest standards of quality care and best practice.

Public Consultation on Draft Guidelines to support Medicines Therapy Review, Counselling and Prescription Extension




We are running a public consultation on draft guidelines that have been developed to support the review of medicines, patient counselling and prescription extension by pharmacists. The consultation closes at 5pm on Friday, 10 May 2024.

What is the public consultation about?

We are seeking the views of pharmacists, interested members of the public and relevant organisations on our draft Guidelines to Support Medicines Therapy Review, Counselling and Prescription Extension. Contributions to this consultation process will help refine and improve the final version before publication.

How do I complete this consultation survey?

Feedback can be submitted by completing this online survey. This consultation process is open until 5pm on 10 May 2024. We estimate that it will take 5 to 10 minutes to complete. The survey is anonymous. If you are unable to complete the online survey, you can email your feedback to consultation@psi.ie.

Why are the PSI carrying out this public consultation?

The PSI continues to contribute to the work of the Expert Taskforce to support the expansion of the role of pharmacists in Ireland. The remit of the Taskforce is to identify and support the delivery of specific objectives which will serve to align services and practices that can be delivered by pharmacists and pharmacies with the needs of the health service and patients. We committed to developing Guidelines to support pharmacists to give effect to the first recommendation of the Expert Taskforce: empowering pharmacists to extend certain prescriptions when in their professional judgement it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Information about the draft guidelines

It was decided to update the existing Guidelines on the Counselling and Medicines Therapy Review in the Supply of Prescribed Medicinal Products from a Retail Pharmacy Business to reflect the legislative change that enable pharmacists to extend prescriptions. The updated draft guidelines:

  • reflect the legislative change introduced on 1 March 2024, giving pharmacists the authority to extend the validity of certain prescriptions and
  • provide a principles-based framework, which is intended to be supportive and enabling rather than prescriptive.

Adopting a principles-based framework for the guidelines.

As part of the update, we adopted a more principles-based framework that is intended to guide the actions of pharmacists and those in pharmacy governance roles without specifying detailed instructions for medicines therapy review, counselling and prescription extension. Principle-based guidelines offer several advantages, for example:

  • Flexibility, allowing pharmacists to adapt the guidelines to various contexts and patient needs.
  • Responsiveness to change, allowing pharmacists practice to remain relevant and effective over time.
  • Encourages critical thinking about how best to achieve the desired outcomes around person-centred care.
  • Demonstrates trust in the professional judgement of pharmacists to use their knowledge skills and expertise to inform their decision making.

Where can I find more information on the Expert Taskforce to support the expansion of the role of pharmacists in Ireland?

Please see our website for further information on the Expert Taskforce.

 

Data Protection and Freedom of Information: 

Please note that submissions made to the PSI during public consultations are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014. 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 list of any organisations that have given their feedback, where those have been provided. 

View previous PSI public consultations