Frequently asked questions: Expert Taskforce

Frequently asked questions: Expert Taskforce

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• What is the Expert Taskforce to support the expansion of the role of pharmacists in Ireland?

  
  An Expert Taskforce to support the expansion of the role of pharmacists in Ireland was established in July 2023 by the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD. The Taskforce is charged with considering and examining ways in which pharmacists can expand upon their present scope of practice for the benefit of patients, the public and the wider health system.
  
  You can learn more about the Expert Taskforce, including the group members and progress to date, on the Department of Health website.

• What is the first recommendation from the Expert Taskforce?

  
  In November 2023, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, T.D., accepted the first recommendation of the Expert Taskforce.
  
  This first recommendation will enable pharmacists to extend the validity period of certain prescriptions from a period of six months up to a maximum of 12 months. The decision on extending a prescription will be subject to person-centred criteria such as the current stability of a patient’s clinical regime, continuity of care and lack of relevant change.
  
  The legislation to effect this change was implemented on 1 March 2024. Pharmacists will be able to extend prescriptions from 1 September 2024.
  
  The Department of Health will conduct a review of the first recommendation after 12 months of its implementation into practice to assess whether it is achieving its objective in alignment with governance policies and procedures.
  

• What legislative changes have been implemented and why?

  
  In order to allow prescriptions to be valid for up to 12 months, amendments have been made to the Regulation of Retail Pharmacy Businesses Regulations 2008 and the Medicinal Products (Prescription and Control of Supply) Regulations 2003.
  
  These changes come following the first recommendation of the Expert Taskforce established by the Minister for Health in July last year to examine how pharmacists can expand upon their present scope of practice for the benefit of patients, the public, and the wider healthcare system.
  
  This first recommendation from the Taskforce is to enable pharmacists to extend the validity period of certain prescriptions from a period of six months up to a maximum of 12 months. This will be in accordance with defined criteria, and when in the pharmacist’s professional opinion, it is safe and appropriate to do so. The decision to extend will be subject to person-centred criteria such as the current stability of the patient’s clinical regime, continuity of care and lack of relevant change. The recommendation also enables prescribers to prescribe certain medicines for up to 12 months, where appropriate.

• What has changed from 1 March 2024, and when will pharmacists be able to extend prescriptions?

  
  

  From 1 March 2024, changes to legislation mean that prescribers may prescribe certain medicines for up to 12 months, where they consider it to be appropriate.

  
  Only prescriptions written on or after 1 March will be eligible for extension by pharmacists. This means that in practice, the earliest pharmacists will be making decisions to extend or not extend prescriptions under this new legislative change will be 1 September (six months following 1 March, the commencement date).

• Can pharmacists continue to extend prescriptions up to nine months until 1 September 2024?

  
  Yes. Temporary provisions introduced during COVID-19 extended the validity of prescriptions from six to nine months and enable pharmacists to make additional supplies of prescription-only medicines to patients from an existing prescription. This additional authority to pharmacists must only be used where, in the pharmacist’s professional judgement, continued treatment is required and it is safe and appropriate to make an additional supply. There is a provision in the 1 March 2024 legislative amendments to allow for this situation to continue for prescriptions written before 1 March 2024 until pharmacists are enabled to extend prescriptions under the new provision.

• Do pharmacists have to complete any mandatory training to be able to extend prescriptions?

  
  No. Pharmacists do not have to undertake mandatory training to extend prescriptions. It is expected that pharmacists will use their knowledge, skills and competence in determining whether or not it is safe and appropriate and in the best interest of the patient to extend or not extend prescriptions. Pharmacists should ensure that they self-reflect on their competence and practice and undertake additional training and development identified as necessary to address any areas for improvement.
  

• When will pharmacists start making decisions to extend/not extend prescriptions?

  
  The legislation, which is due to come into effect on 1 March, enables pharmacists to extend the validity period of prescriptions written for 6 months or more – up to a maximum of 12 months. This legislative change only applies to prescriptions written on or after 1 March 2024. This means that in practice, pharmacists will not be making decisions to extend/not extend prescriptions under the new legislation until on or after 1 September 2024.
  

• How can I find out more about these changes and the work of the Expert Taskforce?

  
  The PSI will keep you informed as we learn more through direct emails, on our website, and via webinars. To further facilitate understanding and discussion, PSI ran a webinar in partnership with the IIOP on 21 February. We also issued this Press Release in response to the announcement from the Minister for Health about the extension of prescriptions to 12 months.
  
  During the webinar, PSI provided information on the expected legislative changes to facilitate the first recommendation of the Taskforce (to enable pharmacists to extend prescriptions). It also included information on the overall work of the Expert Taskforce, with insights from the Chair of the Expert Taskforce, Dr. Pat O’Mahony, and PSI Registrar Joanne Kissane. You can access a recording of the webinar on the IIOP website.
  
  We are also developing a number of resources for pharmacists to support you in extending prescriptions, including the development of updated guidelines. These will be available well in advance of 1 September to support pharmacists and pharmacies in preparing to provide this new service.
  
  You can learn more about the Expert Taskforce, including the group members and progress to date, on the Department of Health website. You can also access the Interim Report of the Taskforce, which provides an overview of the first recommendation.

• How is PSI preparing for the implementation of these new legislative changes?

  
  The PSI has been actively supporting the work of the Expert Taskforce since its establishment. The PSI Registrar and Chief Officer, Joanne Kissane, is a member of the Expert Taskforce, and the PSI is also a member of a Taskforce subgroup that helps coordinate the implementation of the recommendation.
  PSI has also been engaging with several key stakeholders, including pharmacists, as part of its preparation to implement the first recommendation. All registered pharmacists were invited to join a PSI panel via an expression of interest, and we held a workshop with pharmacists on 12 December to explore the regulatory tools, supports and information, such as guidance, that may be needed to support pharmacists in their decision-making when extending prescriptions for patients.
  
  We are also developing guidelines, which will be an update to existing guidelines on medicines therapy review and counselling requirements under Regulation 9.
  
  We also met with the IIOP and IPU in November 2023 to discuss the implementation of the first recommendation of the Taskforce and the development of resources to support pharmacists with this practice change.

• How can I watch the PSI/IIOP webinar held on 21 February?

  
  To further facilitate understanding and discussion, PSI ran a webinar in partnership with the IIOP on 21 February.
  
  During the webinar, PSI provided information on the expected legislative changes to facilitate the first recommendation of the Taskforce (to enable pharmacists to extend prescriptions). It also included information on the overall work of the Expert Taskforce, with insights from the Chair of the Expert Taskforce, Pat O’Mahony, and PSI registrar Joanne Kissane. You can access a recording of the webinar on the IIOP website.

• Are there any exclusions to extending prescriptions beyond six months?

  
  Yes, certain medicines or classes of medicines are excluded. These include all controlled drugs listed in Schedule 2, 3 and 4 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2017. Prescribers can also indicate that a prescription is not suitable for extension by including ‘Do not extend’ on the prescription. Further information about exclusions to prescription extension can be found on our general information page for pharmacists.

• What if a prescriber does not want a pharmacist to extend a prescription?

  
  The legislation allows for a prescriber to insert the words ‘Do not extend’ on a prescription to indicate to the pharmacist that the medicinal product or prescription is not suitable for extension.