The country’s 1,900 community pharmacies could provide solutions to free up capacity elsewhere in the health system, the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has insisted.

According to the union, the range of clinical services provided by pharmacies needs to be increased as this would relieve pressure on hospital and GP services.

“Last week the public were advised to avoid emergency departments (EDs) by the HSE who recommended they visit pharmacies and GPs instead. Pharmacies are of course well placed to provide care and health advice to those who need it. However, we cannot understand why the HSE is directing patients into pharmacies while consistently doing nothing to increase the range of clinical services we can provide,” commented IPU president, Dermot Twomey.

He said that there is “huge potential” for community pharmacies to do much more, emphasising that they are already located in practically every community in Ireland and are therefore easily accessible for most of the population.

Mr Twomey gave a number of examples of services which he claims pharmacies could start offering almost immediately, freeing up capacity in other parts of the health service.

“If properly resourced and if allowed to do so, there is a range of new clinical services which we could deliver. A key priority among these is the development and roll-out of a national community pharmacy-based triage programme including a minor ailment scheme, use of emergency medicines and the treatment of minor injuries,” he suggested.

He noted that a lot of these services are already available in other jurisdictions and “would potentially eliminate thousands of needless GP and ED visits each month”.

Mr Twomey also pointed out that the number of GP-only medical cards is set to increase this year, which may add even more pressure to services.

“The HSE needs to actively put in place plans to manage its capacity. Providing greater opportunities for pharmacies to provide patient care would benefit patients and the health system alike,” he said.

He added that the surge in viral infections seen nationwide in recent weeks “was predictable and predicted”.

“It is no longer acceptable to explain away the scenes in our hospitals as the result of some extraordinary event. We must do everything practical to enhance the availability and accessibility of patient care. This must include the involvement of the pharmacy sector,” he said.

Meanwhile, in light of the current demand for medicines used to treat seasonal conditions, such as colds and flu, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) is appealing to the public “not to seek supplies of medicines over and above their normal requirements”.

It also insisted that there is “no need for healthcare professionals to order extra quantities of medicines, or for doctors to issue additional prescriptions”.

The HPRA said that current demand for these medicines is up to three times higher than normal levels for this time of year and similar trends have been observed in other European countries. It is engaging with all stakeholders, including suppliers, to ensure that suitable medicines remain available.

“In the case of medicines used most often in Ireland, there are typically multiple forms, strengths, brands and generic medicines available from various sources. Where some individual medicines are in short supply, alternative options such as alternative strengths, brands and generic medicines remain available to ensure continuity of treatment.

“In some cases where the medicine initially prescribed for the patient is unavailable, patients may be switched to a suitable therapeutic alternative following appropriate consultation with a healthcare professional,” the HPRA said.