Chemists welcome new Pharmacy Bill

Chemists are welcoming plans to overhaul the system contained in new legislation.

A new Pharmacy Bill has been drafted and is expected to be brought before Cabinet in the next few weeks.

The legislation will see the removal of certain restrictions on foreign-trained pharmacists. It will also oversee the establishment of a fitness-to-practice regime, which will police the sector.

Darragh O'Loughlin, from the Irish Pharmaceutical Union, today said: “Pharmacists have been calling for this legislation for years.

"The world has changed enormously and medicine and medical treatments have changed enormously since 1875. The legislation hasn’t kept pace with the profession of pharmacy and the development of pharmacy services over the course of the 131 years."