Pharmaceutical assistants have brought a High Court challenge to proposed new rules restricting the amount of time they can cover for a temporarily absent pharmacist to one hour per day.

Confusion remains as to which of the Departments of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, and Public Expenditure and Reform, or both, has primary responsibility for the Public Service Identity (PSI) database.

A mental health watchdog is urging parents of Junior or Leaving Cert children to seek help, as they too, can feel at a loss as stress and nerves mount ahead of next month.

The president of the High Court, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, said, in order to have a retail pharmacy business open, it is a statutory requirement to have a pharmacist at the premises.

HSE proposals on how it would conduct Assessments Of Need (AON) for children have been deferred for a number of weeks after numerous objections.

The HSE has been warned that concerns voiced by psychologists and therapists over a revamp of assessment of need for children have not gone away amid calls for fresh consultation on the issue.

Occupational therapists have criticised changes to an assessment of need for children under disability legislation, just as a High Court judgement will compel the HSE to deliver outstanding assessments within six weeks for two families who challenged the former system.

The Psychological Society of Ireland has firmly come out in favour of repealing the Eighth Amendment and has published two papers which it says counters “false facts that are not based on scientific research”.

The main body representing psychologists has slammed the HSE over proposals to change its Assessment of Need process for children, claiming it could lead to wrong diagnoses.

A vet has admitted to operating a system of "madness" supplying animal medications without prescription at three pharmacies he owns in Cork.

The country’s health products’ watchdog has said food intolerance tests are clinically invalid and nobody should act on the results of the tests without expert advice from a medical expert.

Irish people make 2m visits per month to a pharmacy.

The Department of Health has revealed that it will be at least another three years before psychologists will be fully regulated in Ireland — despite the introduction of legislation paving the way for registering the profession more than 10 years ago.

A pharmacist will have his work closely monitored for the next 12 months after being censured by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland over his poor professional performance.

A judge yesterday told a Dublin student there was no merit in his €75,000 claim alleging he was defamed by a Malahide pharmacy and ordered him to pay the legal costs of his unsuccessful action.

The pharmacy regulator has started an inquiry into a Dublin chemist that refused to give an emergency adrenaline pen to a mother whose 14-year-old daughter died minutes later on the street because of a nut allergy.

Portugal’s president summoned the main political parties for crisis talks over the government’s future, with markets reeling on fears that a snap election could derail Lisbon’s exit from an international bailout.

The role of the main street pharmacy is broadening, with pharmacists now administering flu vaccinations, supplying the morning-after pill, and providing consultation rooms for medical checks.

Pharmacists are being warned to be on the alert for people buying multiple packs of certain over-the-counter drugs which are being used to manufacture crystal meth, a highly-addictive street drug.

Ireland has an ally in refusing to increase its low corporation tax rate, with Cyprus insisting it must not be forced to raise its rate as a condition of its bailout.

Bank deposits in Greece have fallen by €70bn since the start of the crisis in 2009, the finance minister said today.

Eurozone finance ministers put off taking the final step to agree the second Greek bailout, but the next week will be vital as 90% of private investors need to agree to the bond-swap that will cut Greek debt by €109bn.

Hopes of a quick fix for Greece were dashed last night as a eurogroup finance ministers’ meeting due to be held today was cancelled.

The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) has described as “unhelpful and likely to cause upset” comments by clinical psychologist Tony Humphreys that inferred parents of children with autism were to blame for their child’s condition.

Greece has resumed talks with its private creditors in the hope of sealing a debt relief deal needed to avoid a disastrous default.

HEALTH Minister James Reilly has told pharmacists there must be no repeat of the systems failure that resulted in over 500 people getting the wrong flu jab.

IRELAND will not be seeking to impose haircuts on investors, Taoiseach Enda Kenny made clear during his visit to Brussels, emphasising that any debt write-down for Greece would be for Greece exclusively, as fears grew that such a move would destabilise the euro.

MOODY’S cut Greece’s credit rating further into junk territory yesterday and said it was almost certain to slap a default tag on its debt as a result of a new EU rescue package.

The Psychological Society of Ireland has today announce the launch of its top 40 tips for mental health, well-being and prosperity.

A PHARMACIST was brought before a fitness to practise inquiry after his pharmacy sold a cough medicine that was two years out of date.

IRELAND is to host a world pharmaceutical congress in 2013, worth as much as €10 million to the national economy.

YOU can’t have failed to notice it.

THE Psychological Society of Ireland has said it is greatly concerned by Department of Education plans to transform the country’s 13 ABA schools for children with autism into special schools using a range of different teaching methods.

Pharmacies are facing new guidelines to tackle the increasing abuse of codeine.

Pharmacists around Ireland should get the swine flu vaccine as soon as possible, the head of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), the pharmacy regulator, has said today.

Health Minister Mary Harney today launched a new National Pharmacy Internship Programme which will introduce a Masters in Pharmacy in Ireland for the first time.

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has today hit back in what is becoming an increasingly bitter war of words with the Health Service Executive (HSE).

A CLEAR and simple warning system for drugs that can impair driving ability is to be developed by the State’s pharmacy regulator.