Community pharmacists throughout the country ‘hold the key to unlocking greater efficiencies' in the Irish health service, a seminar has been told.

Speaking at the seminar, Rory O'Donnell, president of the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU), insisted that while pharmacists already ‘promote and protect' the health of their patients on a daily basis, ‘there is much more that they can do to provide high quality health services to the public on behalf of the State'.

"Pharmacists are highly-trained healthcare professionals who can be accessed easily by the general public. Internationally the argument for expanding the role of pharmacists is settled and the question now is only on what more services they can do.

"We are uniquely positioned to deliver on the Government's healthcare strategy to treat minor ailments and support patients in managing chronic illness," Mr O'Donnell said.

He suggested that a greater use of pharmacists could reduce the pressure being placed on GPs and emergency departments (EDs).

"There are over 20 million visits to GPs in Ireland each year. The bulk of these will require a GP, but a significant percentage doesn't and could be dealt with by a pharmacist," Mr O'Donnell said.

He pointed out that the introduction of the flu vaccination service and morning after pill service in pharmacies ‘has shown that pharmacists can deliver services that patients want that are accessible, convenient and cost effective'.

"There is clear evidence internationally to show that these additional pharmacy-based services have led to considerable improvements in patients' health outcomes and considerable savings to healthcare budgets," Mr O'Donnell added.

He made his comments at an IPU-hosted seminar on the role of pharmacists in Ireland.