Irish to lift ban on “outside” supervising pharmacists
A long-standing ban in the Irish Republic preventing pharmacists who trained abroad from running pharmacies is to be lifted under new legislation.
According to health minister Mary Harney, the restriction prohibiting
them from becoming supervising pharmacists in newly opened pharmacies “has
been particularly unfair to Irish people who were forced to study abroad”.
They had done so, she said, simply because of a shortage of university
places at home.
As part of the legislative package, due in the autumn, new fitness-to-practise
rules are to be put in place, giving the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland
greatly enhanced powers on discipline, registration and premises inspection.
At present the society has limited scope for action in these areas. In
addition, all new pharmacists, whether Irish or not, will have to pass
linguistic and “forensic competency” tests before being allowed
to practise. |
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