Pharmacy group ‘ not a closed shop’
Fianna Fáil Deputy Batt O’Keeffe made the allegation after the PSI refused to sanction a new course at University College Cork due to start this autumn.
“I think it is dangerous to allow any society to have that control in restricting the number of places. I believe it is an anti-competitive measure,” Deputy O’Keeffe said.
He called on Education Minister Noel Dempsey to examine the level of power being exercised by the PSI in accrediting courses.
But a PSI spokeswoman rejected Deputy O’Keeffe’s claim that they were operating a closed shop and trying to limit the number of pharmacists qualifying every year.
The UCC application was turned down because there were significant deficiencies in their pharmacy degree proposal, the spokeswoman said.
These deficiencies included: the proposed course content and structure; availability of staff and facilities at UCC, the spokeswoman said.
The PSI said it has already given the go ahead for a new pharmacy degree course for 50 students to start in the Royal College of Surgeons this autumn.
The PSI spokeswoman said they are committed to ensuring a first-class degree course is introduced at UCC and they look forward to working with the college to ensure it is achieved with the minimum of delay.
The severe shortage of pharmacists was first highlighted by Dr Peter Bacon in a report to the Higher Education Authority almost four years ago, when he said the 70 graduates coming out of Trinity College every year were not enough.
Dr Bacon said at least 50 new pharmacy graduates were needed every year to meet the growing demand.
This prompted former Education Minister Michael Woods to invite proposals from all third-level institutions to run a new pharmacy degree course for 50 extra students a year.
UCC had their proposal accepted in October 2001, and Mr Woods announced that the new pharmacy school would be set up there and that his department would also provide pharmacy places in the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin.
But when UCC applied to the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland for accreditation to run the new pharmacy degree course earlier this year, they were turned down because their proposal did not comply with the PSI’s accreditation criteria.
UCC made an amended application in the summer, and this was also turned down after a PSI delegation and an independent British-based pharmacy academic visited the college. The PSI said that the course content, staffing and facilities were deficient.
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