Pharmacists should be able to write prescriptions for patients from early in the new year, the Health Minister has said.
A final report by a government taskforce has been published on the expansion of the role of pharmacies.
It has identified eight common illnesses that pharmacists could prescribe medication for without the need for people to visit a GP.
The initial eight conditions are:
- Allergic Rhinitis
- Cold Sores
- Conjunctivitis
- Impetigo
- Oral Thrush
- Shingles
- Uncomplicated UTI / Cystitis
- Vulvovaginal Thrush
A new patient app will also see people's prescription data digitised and kept on devices such as mobile phones.
The app, which is already being tested, is set to be rolled out "in the coming months".
The report also suggests hiring a Chief Pharmaceutical Officer with the post having been vacant since 2013.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly told The Hard Shoulder the report recommends some big changes.
"We're going to do something radical: we're going to introduce prescribing for pharmacists," he said.
"At the moment a pharmacist might be able to give you a repeat prescription and we changed the law earlier this year so that they'll be able to extend a lot of prescriptions from six months to 12 months.
"I set up an expert group last year, they've reported into me and the big recommendation is that we start on a journey now whereby pharmacists can prescribe".
'Independent prescribers'
Minister Donnelly said the changes will begin with a common conditions service.
"I'd like to see that up and running early in the new year," he said.
"Essentially that's if you have conjunctivitis, if you have a urinary tract infection, if you have a minor rash.
"They've identified eight conditions to start with."
Minister Donnelly said further recommended changes are 'quite ambitious'.
"Ultimately, pharmacists would be independent prescribers - there's various ways that can be happen to begin with," he said.
"It has to be done in a safe way, it'll have to be done in a phased way.
"Imagine a hospital pharmacist working with a team of people, making sure you've got the right mixture of medicines while you're in hospital, or in a residential home.
"You might have elderly people who are on quite a number of medications."
Minister Donnelly said pharmacists will be able to review medications and suggest new or better alternatives.
"It will give more autonomy, more independence to the pharmacists," he said.
New patient app
Minister Donnelly said a new app will move Ireland towards more 'digital health'.
"We're going to have a patient app and one of the first things that's going to have on it is our prescriptions," he said.
"Yes they'll be a record in the pharmacy [of prescriptions] but there'll be a record on our phone.
"[The] patient app is already being tested; we have several hundred patients in Waterford on it.
"I want to see the app rolled out in the coming months".
Minister Donnelly said the changes mean pressure will be taken off GPs.
"While the number of GPs is growing, we're doubling the number of GPs, there are still towns and villages in the country.... where people are waiting too long to see a GP," he said.
"This will mean less pressure on the GPs from the simpler cases which will give them more time to see those people who really do need to see a doctor".
Minister Donnelly added that an implementation group is putting detailed rules and protocols together for the new prescription scheme.
