Press Release: Minister for Health celebrates progress, innovation and the growing role of pharmacists in Ireland’s health service
Marking World Pharmacists Day, the Minister for Health has paid tribute to pharmacists across Ireland, recognising their commitment, compassion, professionalism and dedication to patients, both within our hospitals and in communities across the country.
Over the past year, pharmacists have continued to demonstrate the significant impact they can make when empowered to practise to the full extent of their skills and expertise. Building on the foundations of the Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025, pharmacists have successfully implemented a number of important initiatives that are enhancing patient outcomes and bringing healthcare closer to home.
With over 1,900 community pharmacies located throughout the country, pharmacists are among the most accessible healthcare professionals in Ireland, providing trusted advice, medicines expertise, and increasingly, a broader range of clinical services to local communities. Hospital pharmacists also play a vital role across the health service, working as part of multidisciplinary teams to support the safe and effective use of medicines, improve patient outcomes and contribute to high-quality care in acute and specialist settings.
Commenting on World Pharmacists Day, the Minister said:
“Over the past year we have taken significant steps to empower pharmacists to play a broader and more clinical role within our health service. As we celebrate World Pharmacists Day, we thank them for their work across our communities and our hospitals for their care, their professionalism and their commitment to patients. Through new services, new responsibilities and new investment, pharmacy is becoming an even more important part of delivering accessible healthcare. They are often the first, and easiest, place for people to turn for trusted advice and practical support. World Pharmacists Day provides an important opportunity to reflect on the immense value of the pharmacy profession and to say, thank you.”
Developments delivered under the Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025 include:
Pharmacists can now assess and manage a range of minor ailments, providing advice, recommending appropriate treatments and referring patients to other healthcare professionals where necessary. The service is helping patients access trusted healthcare more quickly and conveniently, with more than 95% of community pharmacies now participating.
Community pharmacies are now playing an important role in supporting the National BowelScreen Programme. Through their accessibility and trusted relationships with patients, pharmacists are helping to increase awareness of bowel cancer screening and improve participation rates across the country. More than 1,550 pharmacies have signed up to provide this service.
Pharmacists continue to make a substantial contribution to the provision of vaccination services, including the delivery of the ‘flu (influenza) and COVID-19 vaccines, and have recently been empowered to administer pneumococcal vaccines as part of the national immunisation programme, further increasing public access to important preventative healthcare services.
Every community pharmacy in Ireland is now offering the MediBack medicines disposal service free of charge. The initiative supports the safe disposal of unwanted and expired medicines, helping to protect the environment, reduce medicine-related harm and contribute to efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance.
- Chief Pharmaceutical Officer
The Minister also highlighted the recent appointment of Chief Pharmaceutical Officer, Cora O’Connell, a role that will provide strategic leadership for pharmacy and medicines policy across the health service.
“The appointment of a Chief Pharmaceutical Officer marks an important step forward for pharmacy in Ireland and reflects the Government’s commitment to strengthening the profession’s role within our health service.
“Cora O’Connell will provide strategic leadership to help advance pharmacy policy, support continued innovation and ensure pharmacists are fully integrated into the delivery of patient-centred care across the healthcare system.
“I look forward to working closely with her, and with pharmacists, as we continue to build on the momentum created through the Community Pharmacy Agreement and expand access to high-quality healthcare services for patients.”
Welcoming the continued expansion of pharmacy services and the growing role of pharmacists in patient care, IPU President Caoimhe McAuley said:
“Patients and communities across Ireland rely on their pharmacists every day for trusted advice, support and care close to home. As medicines experts, community pharmacists are helping more people access care and doing so in new and evolving ways.
“World Pharmacists Day is an opportunity to celebrate the contribution pharmacists make across the country and to recognise the progress that has been achieved through partnership between pharmacists, government and the wider health service.
“We are proud of the role our profession plays in improving health outcomes and excited about the opportunity to build on that progress in the years ahead, using our skills and expertise to further improve access to care and help create a healthier Ireland for all.”