Expanding the role of pharmacists could ease the expected pressure that will be placed on GPs following the roll-out of free GP care, the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has insisted.

According to the union, GPs are already struggling with their workloads, which are expected to increase significantly once universal healthcare is introduced. However, pharmacists could alleviate some of this pressure.

"Pharmacists, as highly skilled healthcare professionals, are uniquely positioned to support our GP colleagues and the public by dealing with minor ailments and providing other convenient, accessible and cost-effective healthcare services, which have a proven track record of success in other jurisdictions," IPU general secretary, Darragh O'Loughlin, told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health.

He called for a ‘joined-up approach to heathcare delivery', which would see pharmacists, GPs and other healthcare professionals bringing their expertise together for the benefit of patients.

The IPU proposed a number of additional services that could be carried out by pharmacists, such as medicine use reviews, a minor ailment scheme, chronic disease management services and a Warfarin service.

In relation to minor ailments, a recent UK report found that one in seven GP visits and one in 12 A&E visits could be dealt with by a pharmacist.

Meanwhile, in relation to chronic disease management, pharmacists in Canada have seen their scope of practice expanded to include this. They are now invlved in monitoring patients with chronic conditions and adjusting their prescriptions to respond to their symtoms.

"In response to the shortage of GPs, extending pharmacist services in this way has resulted in better access to healthcare and a substantial reduction in morbidity and mortality rates from illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes," Mr O'Loughlin pointed out.

He noted that in Ireland, the introduction of the pharmacy-based flu vaccination service has shown that pharmacists ‘have the ability to deliver professional healthcare services'.

"Community pharmacists in Ireland are highly-trained healthcare professionals and are extremely accessible to the general public with 85 million individual visits made to a pharmacy every year," he added.