395 
The Expert Group has recommended that pharmacists should be able to prescribe for a range of common conditions. They have recommended an initial list of eight conditions which can be extended over time as the service evolves.
“The report recommends that we begin by supporting pharmacists to prescribe for certain conditions under a new Common Conditions Service.
“I want this Common Conditions Service to be in place in early 2025. The service will be scaled-up over time, but we will start with these conditions. There is huge public support for this. My Department conducted a public consultation on
The Taskforce has also recommended the development of models of pharmacist prescribing across the health service.
The report follows the Minister’s acceptance last November of the Taskforce’s recommendation on extended prescriptions.
Donnelly & Dodd at your service…
atest press release from Stephen Donnelly TD, issued on August 15th, 
but we somehow missed the fecker…
Wicklow TD and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly says thousands of patients in Wicklow will benefit from changes that will see pharmacists able to prescribe medications for common conditions from next year.
The Minister announced the change following publication of the report of the Expert Taskforce to Support the Expansion of the Role of Pharmacy.
The introduction of pharmacy prescribing will result in patients being able to access medications without the need to first go to their GP. This will in turn ease pressure on GPs across Wicklow.
The Expert Group has recommended that pharmacists should be able to prescribe for a range of common conditions. They have recommended an initial list of eight conditions which can be extended over time as the service evolves. 
The Group has also recommended the development, over the coming years, of more widespread models of pharmacist prescribing across the health service.
Minister Donnelly said: “Pharmacists in Wicklow and across the country are highly trusted, highly accessible and highly skilled. They’re in every town and village and they’re not yet being supported to work to their full potential.
“The report recommends that we begin by supporting pharmacists to prescribe for certain conditions under a new Common Conditions Service. 
Various countries, including England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Canada and New Zealand have already initiated pharmacist prescribing. I have written to a number of organisations, including the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and the Irish Pharmacy Union, to invite them onto an implementation group in order to ensure there is no delay in rolling out this service.
“I want this Common Conditions Service to be in place in early 2025. The service will be scaled-up over time, but we will start with these conditions. There is huge public support for this. My Department conducted a public consultation on 
pharmacy in Ireland, and the feedback received was very encouraging, with 8 in 10 (83%) in favour of a Common Conditions Service.”
Prescribing for Common Conditions
Enabling pharmacists to prescribe for common conditions (often called minor ailments) means pharmacists can provide advice and treat common conditions.
This will enable pharmacists to manage common conditions by offering advice, and, when appropriate, prescribing prescription-only medicines through established protocols.
As recommended by the Taskforce an initial list of eight conditions will be included to allow pharmacists working in a community pharmacy to provide treatment to patients:
⦿ Allergic Rhinitis (Inflammation of the inside of the nose caused by an allergen)
⦿ Cold Sores (Tiny, fluid-filled blisters on the face or genitals)
⦿ Conjunctivitis (An eye condition caused by infection or allergies)
⦿ Impetigo (A contagious skin infection)
⦿ Oral Thrush (A fungal infection in the mouth)
⦿ Shingles (A skin infection caused by the chickenpox virus)
⦿ Uncomplicated UTI / Cystitis (An infection in the bladder or urethra)
⦿ Vulvovaginal Thrush (A genital fungal infection)
Charlie Roche celebrates 21 years at his Blacklion chemists 1995
In other countries, this has involved pharmacists prescribing for more complex conditions in specific settings. The Minister has asked officials to examine how best to apply these models in an Irish context.