preelection

Ireland’s Official Pharmacy Publication 

DECEMBER 2015- 

JANUARY 2016 

Operation 

Transformation 

2016 

IPU’s preelection 

briefing 

document 

Pharmacist 

Awards 2015 

Registration fees on ownership change | CPD: Migraine | Reasons to be online

IRELAND’S N O 1 ** 

PHARMACY ONLY 

PAIN RELIEVER 

GETS TO WORK* 

THAN 

PARACETAMOL ALONE 

*based on absorption data 

Always read the label. Can cause addiction. For three days use only. **IMS MAT Value Sales Aug 2015. 

Solpadeine Soluble Tablets (P) contain Paracetamol, Codeine Phosphate Hemihydrate and Caffeine. For the treatment of acute moderate pain not relieved by other analgesics such 

as paracetamol or ibuprofen alone; for symptoms of headache, including migraine, toothache, backache, common cold, influenza, menstrual pain, muscoskeletal pain. Adults and 

children 12 years and over: 2 tablets in water three to four times in 24 hours as required; not more frequently than once every four hours. Maximum 8 tablets in 24 hours. Children 

under 12 years: Not recommended. Do not take for more than 3 days without consulting a doctor. Do not take any other paracetamol or codeine containing products concurrently. 

Avoid excessive caffeine intake. Can cause addiction. Use for 3 days only. In case of overdose, seek immediate medical advice, even if the patient feels well. Contraindications: 

Lactation, acute asthma, known hypersensitivity to ingredients, known CYP2D6 ultra-rapid metabolisers, patients under 18 years who undergo tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy for 

obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, rare hereditary fructose intolerance. Precautions: Caution in renal or hepatic impairment, non-cirrhotic alcoholic liver disease, obstructive bowel 

disorders, previous cholecystectomy, acute abdominal conditions, pregnancy, hypertension, oedema. Interaction with coumarins (including warfarin), domperidone, metoclopramide, 

colestyramine, monoamine-oxidase inhibitors. Side effects: anaphylaxis, bronchospasm, dependency or worsening of headache following prolonged use, dizziness, GI disturbances, 

hepatic dysfunction, thrombocytopenia. PA 1186/11/1. MAH: Chefaro Ireland Limited, 1st Floor, Block A, The Crescent Building, Northwood Business Park, Dublin 9. RRP (excl. VAT): 12s 

€4.99, 24s €7.99, 60s (GMS) €12.15. SPC: www.medicines.ie/medicine/6826/SPC/Solpadeine+Soluble+Tablets.

Contents 

IPU REVIEW 

DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016 

52 

56 

60 

Front cover: IPU President Kathy 

Maher is pictured with Vin Cronin, 

who received the Liz Herbert 

Memorial Lifetime Achievement 

Award at the recent PBF/Helix 

Health Pharmacist Awards. 

The IPU Review is published 

monthly and circulated to Irish 

pharmacists. The views expressed 

by contributors are not those 

of the IPU nor is responsibility 

accepted for claims in articles 

or advertisements. 

Subscription: 

€95 (Ireland North & South) and 

€140 (including postage overseas). 

Publisher: 

Irish Pharmacy Union 

(IPU Services Ltd), 

Butterfield House, 

Butterfield Avenue, 

Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, 

D14 E126 

Tel: (01) 493 6401 

Fax: (01) 493 6626 

Email: ipureview@ipu.ie 

Website: www.ipu.ie 

Editor: Jack Shanahan MPSI 

Editorial Associates: 

Jim Curran, Wendy McGlashan 

and Aoibheann Ní Shúilleabháin 

Advertising: Wendy McGlashan 


Tel: (01) 493 6401 

©2015 

Copyright: All Rights Reserved, 

Irish Pharmacy Union. 

Printed by Ryson Colour Printers Ltd. 

IPU Review is a Registered Trademark 

of the Irish Pharmacy Union. 

05 A Note from the Editor 

IPU News The latest news and events from Butterfield House 

06 Operation Transformation 2016 

06 IPU Supervisory Development Course 

07 Tradeshow for Conference 2016 

08 Pharmacy in the media 

PHARMACISTS – 

DELIVERING 

HEALTHCARE 

IN THE COMMUNITY 

FOR THE COMMUNITY 

Information for 

Election Candidates 

Features 

10 IPU responds to IMO statement 

12 hmR data confirms increase in dispensing of anti-depressants 

16 IPU’s pre-election briefing document 

20 CPD: Migraine – not just a headache 

16 

24 totalhealth Pharmacy Awards 

26 Registration fees on an ownership change 

28 Professional indemnity insurance – employees and locums 

32 Economic Update for the Pharmacy Sector 

40 Pharmacy and planning 

44 Planning for 2016 

48 5 reasons to be online 

52 Is your pharmacy secure for Christmas? 

56 IPU Ad Campaign 2015 

58 Evidence does not support that HPV vaccines cause CRPS or POTS 

60 PBF/Helix Health Pharmacist Awards 

64 Apples’s iPhone upgrade plan 

66 Political Report 

All the latest pharmacy news 

from the Houses of the Oireachtas 

72 Studies 

75 International News 

76 Christmas Wines 

News 

78 MfH announces patient safety reforms 

79 Welcome for first World Antibiotic Awareness Week 

81 Product Information 

82 Classified Ads 

40 

20 

28 

IPUREVIEW DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016 3

Accumulator - the most Transparent deal in the market 

Transparency - of your Pricing, Margins and Invoicing. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT YOUR LOCAL KEY ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE 

John MacHale 

M: 086 884 1114 

E: John.MacHale@actavis.com 

Cork, Kerry, Limerick, 

Waterford, Kilkenny 

Richard Doherty 

M: 087 667 1725 

E: Richard.Doherty@actavis.com 

Clare, Donegal, Galway, Tipperary, 

Mayo, Offaly, Sligo 

Paul Kenny 

M: 087 361 6027 

E: Paul.kenny2@actavis.com 

North Co. Dublin, Cavan, Longford, 

Leitrim, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, 

Roscommon, Westmeath 

Louise Mooney 

M: 086 044 3956 

E: Louise.Mooney@actavis.com 

South Co. Dublin, Carlow, Kildare, 

Laois Wexford, Wicklow 

Our innovative pack replacement model, offers you the best 

margins & value across our portfolio. www.actavis.ie Date of Preparation: November 2015 NA-061-01a 

The Sweetest Value Deal in the market

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Jack Shanahan, MPSI 

A new year beckons 

There are times when I feel that I have all the 

characteristics of a stuck record. I have to ask, 

once again, what in the name of all that is holy is 

happening in the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland? 

We are to 

have a new 

Registrar. 

While 

we all 

wish Marita Kinsella every 

success in her new role in 

the DoH, the manner of her 

departure is disquieting. Of 

particular concern is that 

there is currently no Assistant 

Registrar, the natural stopgap 

where the Registrar is unable 

to fulfil their role. While there 

is no absolute requirement 

to have an Assistant, this is 

a worrying state of affairs 

from a continuity perspective. 

It is compounded by the 

realisation that we are also 

looking for a new Director of 

Legal Services, the second in 

a little over a year. Doubly 

concerning for an organisation 

that has frequently faced the 

accusation of having fallen 

back on legalities rather than 

exercising common sense. 

Nevertheless, it is as it is. 

It is at times like this that 

we start reflecting on how 

we would like to see the 

Registrar’s role evolve. Since 

the adoption of the Pharmacy 

Act, we have seen a position 

that faced huge challenges. 

Starting effectively from 

scratch, a major regulatory 

organisation had to be built 

up. It would be fair to say 

that it was not all plain 

sailing. Indeed, there were 

times when it was not clear 

how the public interest was 

being served. We shall leave 

the reminiscences for the 

memoirs. The key challenge 

is how the PSI can discharge 

its functions in a way that 

benefits all concerned. While 

the PSI has made some 

efforts at broadening the 

professional role, it would not 

be unreasonable to point out 

that it seems more like they 

were dragged kicking and 

screaming. Initiative is not a 

word that is written in their 

mission statement. This is all 

the more disappointing when 

we see the calibre of both 

the people that work within 

the organisation and those 

that sit on Council. In many 

cases there are exceptional 

people, bursting with talent 

and experience. Yet, like 

some dull cloying hand, the 

miasmic bureaucracy of the 

PSI has stifled any effort at 

proactivity. The remit of the 

PSI is clear. Indeed, Section 

7 of the Pharmacy Act states 

that the very first function of 

the Society is “to regulate the 

profession of pharmacy in 

the State having regard to the 

need to protect, maintain and 

promote the health and safety 

of the public”. It often appears 

as if the regulator never got 

beyond the word ‘protect’. 

We are lucky that we have 

a Minister of Health that 

has correctly identified that 

the pharmacy profession 

is a key component of his 

primary care strategy. He has 

the knowledge and strength 

of character to face down 

the commercial lowing that 

intermittently wafts through 

the airwaves from the IMO 

hierarchy. This Ministerial 

attitude has not happened by 

chance. Within the IPU, we 

have been working for literally 

decades to promote the role 

of the pharmacist. We have 

struggled against indifference, 

apathy and competing 

interests. Finally, we have the 

perfect storm. A health service 

that is no longer meeting its 

own targets. A system that 

needs reconfiguration. A plan 

for primary care that shifts 

the focus to the patient, 

creating a new model for 

general practice. A natural 

consequence of this new 

model is that much of the 

work will need to be shifted 

away from the GP. Where 

better than to the pharmacist, 

the medicines expert? 

In order to deliver an 

effective service, it is vital 

that we have no false barriers. 

Almost every pharmacist 

in Ireland has had at least 

five years of education and 

training. It is clear that we 

have the capacity to deliver 

much more in, for instance, 

the therapeutic area. Take 

asthma as a common 

ailment. The gold standard of 

treatment requires that most 

patients monitor their peak 

flow. Yet how often do you 

talk to a patient, presenting 

for their inhalers, that has 

rarely or never had a peak 

flow measurement? This is an 

illness where there are clearly 

defined treatment routes. 

There could surely be a role 

for pharmacist management 

of routine asthmatics above 

simply teaching inhaler 

technique. Yet, behind this, 

we need a regulatory body 

that can step up to the plate 

from the ‘promote the health 

of the public’ aspect. We 

need a body that has the 

vision, courage and energy to 

broaden their remit beyond 

box-ticking. A body that tells 

the Department of Health 

what needs to be done. A body 

that says that parts of the 

current legislation governing 

pharmacy is obsolete and 

needs to be redrafted. Most of 

all, a body that embraces the 

role that it clearly has defined 

in the legislation that set it up. 

A new year beckons. A new 

Registrar. So much potential. 

Nollaig Shona agus Bliain Úr 

faoi Mhaise. 


IPU NEWS 

Happy 

Christmas 

to all our 

readers 

We would like to wish all our readers a happy and 

peaceful Christmas. This year, instead of sending cards, 

the IPU has made a donation to 

Focus Ireland to help them with 

their work with people who are, 

or are about to become, homeless. 

IPU Academy 

Autumn 2015 

Programme – 

eLearning version 

of courses now 

available online 

Harnessing the technology behind www.ipuacademy.ie, we 

have created an electronic version of the topics presented in 

the IPU Academy Autumn Programme. This is to facilitate those 

of you who were unable to attend the live courses during the 

Autumn Programme. 

Use your personal membership log-in to complete an 

eLearning version of the following topics: 

1. Management of Common Urogenital Conditions 

2. Depression 

3. Management of Asthma 

4. Medicines from Natural Sources 

5. Liver Disease 

This eLearning format allows you, as a member of IPU Academy, 

to engage with Continuing Education at a time that is convenient 

to you and remove the need to travel to attend a course. 

Operation 

Transformation 

2016 

We are delighted to announce that, 

following on from the success of last 

year’s ‘Know Your Numbers’ campaign, 

the IPU is once again teaming up with 

Operation Transformation for 2016. 

The 2016 campaign is an exciting 

initiative aimed at reversing the 

current trends that see Ireland on 

course to be the heaviest country in 

Europe by 2030. 

Pharmacists have an integral role 

to play in the campaign as frontline healthcare professionals 

in communities across the country. This exciting campaign 

is the first of its kind and will commence when Operation 

Transformation returns to our screens on Wednesday 

6 January 2016. 

Register to participate 

If you are interested in participating, please email your 

pharmacy name and address to operationtransformation 

@ipu.ie by Friday 18 December. 

This is an ideal opportunity for you to show that pharmacists 

do more than dispense medicines; you are healthcare 

professionals, in the heart of the community, with the 

capabilities and expertise to do more for your patients. 

Further information will be emailed to participants in the 

coming weeks. 

IPU Supervisory 

Development Course 

– Spring 2016 

The IPU Supervisory Development Course is an 

introduction to Leadership and Management and is 

aimed at participants who are in a supervisory or 

management role or who aspire to be in the future. 

This highly-interactive workshop will be delivered over 

two days, one month apart. The Spring dates are: 

Day 1: Tuesday 16 February 2016 

Day 2: Tuesday 15 March 2016 

The courses will be held from 9.30am to 5.00pm in 

Butterfield House on both days. For further information 

and an application form (see pages 70/71) log on to 

www.ipu.ie or telephone Janice or Susan on 01 493 

6401/01 406 1555 (direct dial). 

6 

IPUREVIEW DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016

New Tradeshow at 

IPU Conference 2016 

The IPU National Pharmacy Conference will be held in the 

Crowne Plaza, Northwood, Dublin, on 22-24 April 2016. This will 

be the first year that the Conference will be held in Dublin and 

we expect large numbers to attend. 

We are introducing a tradeshow element to the 2016 

Conference and pharmacy staff are invited to attend the 

Friday evening of the Conference to meet with all the 

companies who will be exhibiting. A retail session will also be 

held on Friday afternoon, which will benefit both pharmacists 

and pharmacy staff. 

Registration for the 2016 IPU National Pharmacy Conference 

will open next month through the Conference website, where 

you will be able to get full details of the educational sessions 

and book your place and accommodation. 

We look forward to seeing you there. 

IPU Staff Graduation 

Congratulations to Alma Mannion (left), Education Coordinator 

and Ciara Browne, IPU Product File Administrator, who recently 

graduated from Dublin Business School with a Diploma in 

Business Studies. 

IPUREVIEW DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016 

7

IPU NEWS 

Pharmacy in 

the media 

The IPU issued a statement at the beginning of 

November in response to a press release by the 

IMO, which strongly opposed the expansion of 

the role of the pharmacist. In our statement, we 

refuted the allegations made by the IMO, calling it 

an “unprecedented and unfounded attack on the 

pharmacy profession”. We took the opportunity to once 

again highlight the international evidence showing 

the benefits of expanding the role of pharmacists and 

the support for an expanded role for the profession, 

from politicians and the public alike. Secretary 

General Darragh O’Loughlin was quoted in the Sunday 

Business Post on the issue, where he pointed out that 

minor ailment schemes had worked well in other 

jurisdictions. In the same article, a spokesman for 

Minister Varadkar said the Minister was “very keen” 

to expand the range of services available through 

pharmacies despite strong opposition from the IMO. 

The IPU received a significant amount of media 

coverage for European Antibiotic Awareness Day, 

which was held on 18 November. A press release 

was issued advising to only use antibiotics when 

necessary, as overuse or misuse could lead to 

antimicrobial resistance. IPU President Kathy Maher 

was interviewed for TV3’s The 5.30 and News at 8, while 

Galway pharmacist Dr Barra Nevin was interviewed 

for UTV Ireland’s News. The item was also covered on 

regional news. 

Sheena Mitchell 

– Awards Winner 

Sheena Mitchell from Milltown totalhealth Pharmacy, Dublin 6, 

has been busy winning awards. 

Sheena was awarded the Social Media Champion of the Year at 

the totalhealth Pharmacy Awards Ceremony and Gala Ball held 

recently in The Sheraton Hotel, Athlone, sponsored by Mylan and 

the prestigious ‘Pharmacist of the Year’ award at the Maternity 

and Infant Awards held in The DoubleTree by Hilton Dublin. 

The totalhealth Social Media Champion of the Year Award was 

selected based on communication with customers, colleagues 

and local community via social media. The Pharmacist of the 

Year Award was selected based on understanding of customers 

and those who play a vital role in their medical care. Sheena 

sees her role as far more than a dispenser of medication; she 

uses her knowledge and training as a pharmacist to offer health 

advice, assistance and reassurance in her pharmacy and also 

through her social media platforms, her Facebook, website 

and health information ‘Wonderbaba’ blog. The objective of 

Wonderbaba is to ease the health concerns of new mothers and 

help them find their feet. 

Sheena Mitchell, 

Pharmacist of the Year 

Dates for 

your Diary 

6 January Operation Transformation 

returns to our screens 

8 


A quick effective relief for the pain and 

discomfort of bloating and trapped wind. 

STOCK NOW 

A S E N S I B L E 

SOLUTION TO 

TRAPPED WIND 

& 

BLOATING 

2016 SUPPORT 

REPRESENTATIVES 

TEAM 

PRESS 

RELEASE 

WEBSITE 

DIGITAL 

CAMPAIGN 

PLACE AN ORDER WITH YOUR SANOFI REPRESENTATIVE 

Padhraic Speight 

Tel: 086 0456 817 

Munster 

Colm Moran 

Tel: 086 0470 989 

Midlands, North West 

Laurence O’Carroll 

Tel: 086 0456 816 

East Coast 

ABBREVIATED PRESCRIBING INFORMATION (IRELAND). 

MAALOX PLUS TM CHEWABLE TABLETS 200MG/200MG/25MG. 

MAALOX PLUS TM 225MG/200MG/25MG ORAL SUSPENSION. 

MAALOX PLUS CHEWABLE TABLETS 200mg/200mg/25mg. Presentation: 

Chewable tablet containing 200 mg of Magnesium Hydroxide (as magnesium hydroxide 

paste); 200mg of Hydrated Aluminium Oxide; 25mg of Dimeticone (as simeticone). 

MAALOX PLUS 225mg/200mg/25mg ORAL SUSPENSION. Presentation: Oral 

suspension. Each 5ml contains 225mg of Aluminium Hydroxide (as Aluminium Hydroxide 

Gel); 200mg of Magnesium Hydroxide (as Magnesium Hydroxide Paste) and 25mg of 

Simeticone. Indications: The treatment of heartburn, indigestion, flatulence and dyspepsia. 

Dosage and Administration. MAALOX PLUS CHEWABLE TABLETS: Adults: One to 

two tablets four times a day (after meals and at bedtime) or as required. MAALOX PLUS 

ORAL SUSPENSION: Adults: One to Two x 5ml spoonfuls four times a day (after meals 

and at bedtime) or as required. Contraindications: Severely debilitated patients or in 

those suffering from kidney failure. Allergy to any of the ingredients in Maalox Chewable 

Tablets. Warnings and Precautions: Aluminium hydroxide may cause constipation due to 

its astringent action. Aluminium hydroxide may lead to a phosphate depletion syndrome, 

particularly in patients on a low phosphate diet e.g. malnutrition. Magnesium salts may 

cause central nervous depression in the presence of renal insufficiency and should be 

used with extreme caution in patients with kidney disease. In patients with renal impairment, 

plasma levels of both aluminium and magnesium increase. In these patients, a long-term 

exposure to high doses of aluminium and magnesium salts may lead to encephalopathy, 

dementia, microcytic anemia or worsen dialysis-induced osteomalacia. The prolonged use 

of antacids in patients with renal failure should be avoided. Aluminium hydroxide may be 

unsafe in patients with porphyria undergoing hemodialysis. Patients with rare hereditary 

problems of fructose intolerance, glucose galactose malabsorption or sucrose-isomaltase 

insufficiency should not take this medicine. Tablets: Diabetics due to sugar content. 

Pregnancy and Lactation: Do not take during the first trimester of pregnancy Adverse 

Reactions: Gastrointestinal side-effects are uncommon. High doses may cause diarrhoea 

or constipation. Marketing Authorisation Holder: sanofi-aventis Ireland Ltd. T/A SANOFI, 

Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24. Marketing Authorisation Number. MAALOX 

PLUS CHEWABLE TABLETS: PA 540/109/2 MAALOX PLUS ORAL SUSPENSION: 

PA 540/109/1 Legal Category: P Further information: Available from Sanofi, Citywest 

Business Campus, Dublin 24 or contact IEmedinfo@sanofi.com. Tel.: (01) 4035600. 

Date of Preparation: March 2014 

Please refer to Summary of Product Characteristics which can be found on IPHA 

at http://www.medicines.ie/ before prescribing. Information about adverse events 

reporting can be found at www.imb.ie. Adverse events should be reported to the 

Sanofi Drug Safety Department at the above address. 

Date of Preparation: November 2015 

IE.MAA.14.02.09(1)

PROFESSIONAL 

IPU responds to IMO 

warning on dangers 

of allowing pharmacists to 

take on the role of doctors 

Pharmacists have provoked the ire of GPs, if a 

statement issued recently by the Irish Medical 

Organisation (IMO) is anything to go by. 

Their statement 

titled ‘IMO warns 

on dangers of 

allowing pharmacists 

to take on the 

role of doctors’ claimed that 

pharmacy is first and foremost 

a commercial enterprise and 

allowing pharmacists powers 

to prescribe and treat patients 

will lead to serious conflict 

of interest. 

It is somewhat ironic 

that GPs claim to perceive 

pharmacists as purely 

commercial enterprises while, 

at the same time, some GPs 

bemoan the fact that their 

own fees are not adequate 

to cover the costs of running 

their own operations, such as 

staff wages, insurance, energy 

costs etc., all costs typically 

associated with running any 

commercial enterprise. The 

reality, as we know, is that 

a pharmacy provides key 

healthcare services locally 

and must cover the costs of 

their premises and operations, 

similar to any other business 

premises which requires 

income to cover costs; 

funnily enough, not unlike 

GP surgeries. Pharmacists 

are healthcare professionals 

who happen to practise in a 

commercial context – just like 

independent GPs. 

The President of the 

(IMO), Dr Ray Walley is also 

extremely concerned at 

“the risks that will arise for 

patient health and safety 

if pharmacists are given 

permission to expand their 

role into areas which are 

more properly undertaken 

by doctors”. He goes further 

in the statement to say that 

“due to economic reasons 

pharmacists are seeking to 

expand their professional 

roles and move their scope of 

practice into the treatment 

and management of patients 

thus undermining the role 

of doctors and the patient/ 

doctor relationship”. Dr 

Walley warned in particular 

of the conflict of interest that 

would arise if pharmacists 

were empowered to write 

prescriptions as well as 

dispense them. 

Coincidence, or otherwise, 

but the day before the IMO 

statement was released, 

Minister Varadkar in an 

interview in the Sunday 

Business Post stated, 

“Pharmacists want to manage 

patients, as well as issue 

prescriptions. They have 

shown they can be safe, 

competent and efficient when 

it comes to vaccines, smoking 

cessation and monitoring. We 

need more of this.” 

The response of the IPU to 

the IMO statement was that 

it was an ‘unprecedented 

and unfounded attack on the 

pharmacy profession’. 

We also highlighted that 

the view of the IMO on the 

area of expanded services 

for pharmacists is absolutely 

absurd and goes against 

international evidence that 

clearly shows the benefits 

of expanding the role of 

pharmacists in areas such as 

Minor Ailment Schemes and 

extended vaccination services. 

We showed that in England, 

Scotland and Canada, for 

example, where demand 

for GP services exceeded 

the available capacity, the 

unique skills and expertise 

of pharmacists have been 

used to enhance access 

to healthcare, generating 

considerable benefits to both 

patients and the State. 

We also referred to a report 

issued in 2014, by the UK 

Royal College of General 

Practice and College of 

Emergency Medicine, that 

estimated that one in seven GP 

visits (equating to 51 million 

visits annually in the UK) 

and one in 12 attendances at 

A&E could be dealt with by a 

pharmacist, who is the health 

professional best placed to 

offer advice and treatment for 

minor ailments. As Minister 

Kathleen Lynch has previously 

stated, “Expanding the role of 

the community pharmacist to 

include provision of services 

such as a Minor Ailment 

Scheme is worth exploring 

as we seek to further expand 

and develop the primary care 

sector.” 

Ironically, as we pointed 

out in our response, only in 

the last number of weeks the 

Oireachtas Joint Committee 

on Health & Children issued 

a report in which they 

recommended an expanded 

role for pharmacists and 

also proposed an analysis 

of the potential to delegate 

prescribing authority to 

pharmacists, “considering the 

wide knowledge possessed by 

community pharmacists and 

their proximity to patients. 

The report went on to say 

that “the Minister should also 

consider what other steps 

can be taken to enhance the 

role of the pharmacist in the 

provision of primary care to 

patients,” and, “a detailed 

analysis of the potential 

to expand their role by 

delegating drug prescription 

authority to them merits 

further consideration.” 

Contrary to the views of the 

IMO, community pharmacists 

deliver a quality, accessible, 

personal and professional 

service that puts the patient 

first and has as its primary 

goal the optimisation of 

the health and wellbeing 

of society. The IPU will 

ensure that we continue 

to do this and will actively 

seek to expand the role of 

pharmacists in partnership 

with other healthcare 

professionals. 

10 


It’s not that 

difficult! 

As part of Axium, Ireland’s largest independent buying group, 

CarePlus are helping independent pharmacists future 

proof their businesses. 

So, if it’s a quality dependable future you want for your business, 

look no further. We don’t just fit shop fronts and put our feet up, 

we work hard to make partnerships work. 

To find out more contact James Turner, Business Development Manager on: 

01-4433884 086 232 8585 james.turner@careplus.ie 

More than just a paint job...

BUSINESS John Donnelly, Commercial Director, Health Market Research (hmR) Ireland 

Increase in 

anti-depressants 

hmR data confirms an increase in the 

dispensing of anti-depressants and mood 

stabilisers with the biggest increases reported 

in the South East. According to Aware Ireland, 

450,000 people in Ireland suffer from depression 

(approximately one in 10) and any of us, 

irrespective of age, gender or background, 

may be affected at some point in our lives. 

At hmR Ireland 

we collect 

dispensing data 

from community 

pharmacies. Our 

data shows us that, based on 

dispensed items, this number 

has increased over the past 

number of years. When 

we look at the category for 

anti-depressants and mood 

stabilisers we can see this 

trend over the past two years 

(Table 1). There are definite 

peaks and troughs and there 

are easy explanations for 

some, such as fewer days in 

February equating to fewer 

items dispensed, but the 

underlining trend is on an 

upward trajectory. 

When we look at the winter 

of 2014–2015, we see a marked 

increase in dispensing for 

this category; in this period, 

December is the high point 

and it looks very much like 

we will experience the same 

scenario for winter 2015-2016. 

The data gets even more 

interesting when we look at 

county statistics. The year-onyear 

trend (MAT) shows unit 

sales for anti-depressants and 

mood stabilisers up by 5 % 

on a national basis but some 

counties show significantly 

higher growth levels than 

that (Table 2). 

There are many ways of 

layering data and Table 3, 

which aggregates the volume 

of dispensed items per county 

divided by the population, 

indicates where depressionrelated 

illness appears most 

prevalent in Ireland. 

The assumptions I make 

in this article are my own 

but one thing is for sure: I 

cannot make any assumptions 

without a starting point and 

hmR Ireland is the starting 

point. hmR Ireland has lots 

of data to share, not only 

for gathering key clinical 

information but also key 

business intelligence data that 

will assist in strengthening 

your pharmacy business 

through the online Pharmacy 

Watch analysis tool. 

Table 1 / Anti-depressants and mood stabilisers – Dispensed Units 

12 IPUREVIEW DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 2016

Table 2 / Unit sales for 

anti-depressants and 

mood stabilisers 

Rank 

County 

YoY 

increase 

National 5% 

1 Waterford 11% 

2 Wexford 11% 

3 Donegal 9% 

4 Roscommon 9% 

5 Longford 8% 

6 Leitrim 8% 

7 Meath 7% 

8 Westmeath 7% 

9 Limerick 6% 

10 Kilkenny 6% 

11 Dublin 5% 

12 Offaly 5% 

13 Carlow 5% 

14 Wicklow 5% 

15 Laois 5% 

16 Tipperary 4% 

17 Clare 4% 

18 Sligo 4% 

19 Louth 4% 

20 Mayo 4% 

21 Cork 4% 

22 

Cavan + 

Monaghan 

2% 

23 Galway 2% 

24 Kildare 2% 

25 Kerry 2% 

Table 3 / Dispensed 

items per county 

Rank 

County 

Avg 

Units by 

Population 

1 Longford 0.39 

2 Kilkenny 0.30 

3 Laois 0.29 

4 Louth 0.19 

5 Meath 0.14 

6 Kildare 0.13 

7 Westmeath 0.12 

8 Wexford 0.11 

9 Dublin 0.11 

10 Limerick 0.11 

11 Carlow 0.10 

12 Sligo 0.10 

13 Tipperary 0.10 

14 Galway 0.10 

15 Waterford 0.10 

16 Offaly 0.09 

17 Cork 0.09 

18 Donegal 0.08 

19 

Cavan + 

Monaghan 

0.08 

20 Roscommon 0.08 

21 Mayo 0.08 

22 Kerry 0.07 

23 Leitrim 0.07 

24 Wicklow 0.07 

25 Clare 0.06 

* Based on hmR and census 2011 data 

When interpreting abstract 

information, such as we have 

in the case of category growth 

of 5% for anti-depressants 

and mood stabilisers, it is 

important to remember 

that behind each of these 

numbers lies a patient or 

patient group. Although 

the general perception is 

that Christmas is a festive 

season and a time of joy and 

overindulgence, it is clear that 

for many people it is quite 

the opposite. Christmas can 

put immense pressure on 

people in our community: 

financial strains, anxiety and 

loneliness can all be related 

factors. Add in seasonal 

affective disorder (SAD), just 

in case there weren’t enough 

issues affecting people’s 

daily lives, and we can easily 

see how Christmas can be a 

burden for many. It is worth 

remembering that not all of 

your patients and customers 

are in celebratory mood. 

Many are struggling with 

issues which they may feel 

they cannot or should not 

talk about during the festive 

season and may value a 

supportive word or a 

listening ear. 

To learn more about hmR 

Ireland and to register your 

pharmacy, please contact us 

at info@hmr.ie. 

Reasons to be involved 

n Irish pharmacists in control of their own data. 

n IPU-approved data collection. 

n Proven international track record. 

n Secure data extraction, which is anonymised. 

n Benchmark your performance against the retail pharmacy 

market, nationally and locally. 

n Easy to read reports and graphs to assist you to 

benchmark your business. 

n Quality information to make informed business decisions. 

n Trends on key products and categories. 

n 24 hour online access. 

n Category and product reports to assist you when 

negotiating with pharmaceutical companies. 

n This is a free service to IPU members. 

For further information and registration details 

please contact us at info@hmr.ie. 

* Based on hmR October 2015 MAT Data 

L-R: Ciaran Brennan, Key 

Account Manager, hmR 

Ireland; Darragh O’Loughlin, 

IPU Secretary General; 

Kathy Maher, IPU President; 

Carolina Fonseca, Executive 

Assistant, hmR Ireland; 

John Donnelly, Commercial 

Director, hmR Ireland; and 

John Gallagher, Country 

Manager, hmR Ireland at 

the PBF/Helix Health 

Pharmacist Awards 2015. 


Healthy Data for a Healthy Business 

hmR Ireland is delighted to announce that 

‘Pharmacy Watch’ is now available to retail pharmacists. 

The process of rolling out Pharmacy Watch has commenced and, 

over the coming weeks, all registered pharmacies will have access 

to exceptional data. 

hmR Ireland demonstrated the reports at the recent IPU regional meetings 

and the feedback from members who attended was extremely positive, 

many stating that the reports went far beyond their expectations. 

This is a ‘FREE’ service provided by the IPU for its members 

To register your interest or to get more information 

about hmR Ireland, email us at info@hmr.ie or phone us 

on 01 413 6821

Losec ® Control 

daily relief 

from frequent 

heartburn and 

acid reflux 

Please contact your local 

Bayer Representative for 

further information 

Losec Control 20 mg gastro-resistant tablets (omeprazole). 

For full details please refer to SmPC. Presentation: Gastro-resistant tablet containing 20 mg 

omeprazole. Indication: For the treatment of reflux symptoms (e.g. heartburn, acid regurgitation) 

in adults. Dosage and Administration: Recommended dose is 20 mg once daily for 14 days. 

It might be necessary to take the tablets for 2-3 consecutive days to achieve improvement 

of symptoms. The majority of patients achieve complete relief of heartburn within 7 days. 

Recommend to take in the morning, preferably on an empty stomach, swallowed whole with half 

a glass of water. Tablets must not be chewed or crushed. Renal impairment: No dose adjustment 

is necessary in patients with impaired renal function. Hepatic impairment: Patients with impaired 

hepatic function should be advised by a doctor before taking Losec Contol. Contraindications: 

Hypersensitivity to omeprazole, substituted benzimidazoles or to any of the excipients; must 

not be used concomitantly with nelfinavir. Warnings and Precautions: Patients should not take 

omeprazole as a preventive medication. In the presence of any alarm symptom (e.g. significant 

unintentional weight loss, recurrent vomiting, dysphagia, haematemesis or melena) and when 

gastric ulcer is suspected or present, malignancy should be excluded, as treatment may alleviate 

symptoms and delay diagnosis. Losec Control contains sucrose. Treatment with proton pump 

inhibitors may lead to slightly increased risk of gastrointestinal infections such as Salmonella 

and Campylobacter. Patients with long-term recurrent symptoms of indigestion or heartburn 

should see their doctor at regular intervals. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are associated with 

very infrequent cases of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE). If lesions occur, 

especially in sun-exposed areas of skin, and if accompanied by arthralgia, the patient should seek 

medical help promptly and the healthcare professional should consider stopping Losec Control. 

SCLE after previous treatment with a PPI may increase the risk of SCLE with other PPIs. Patients 

should be instructed to consult a doctor if: they have had previous gastric ulcer or gastrointestinal 

surgery, they are on continuous symptomatic treatment of indigestion or heartburn for 4 or 

more weeks, they have jaundice or severe liver disease, they are aged over 55 years with new 

or recently changed symptoms. Interactions with other medicinal products: Must not be used 

concomitantly with nelfinavir. Not recommended: Co-administration of atazanavir with proton 

pump inhibitors, if combination of atazanavir with a proton pump inhibitor is unavoidable 

close monitoring is recommended in combination with an increase in the dose of atazanavir 

to 400 mg with 100 mg of ritonavir; omeprazole 20 mg should not be exceeded. Concomitant 

use of omeprazole with clopidogrel, posaconazole, erlotinib, ketoconazole and itraconazole 

should be avoided. Use with caution: Patients treated concomitantly with active substances 

metabolised also by CYP2C19 (e.g. R-warfarin and other vitamin K antagonists, cliostazol, 

diazepam and phenytoin), with CYP2C19 and/or CYP3A4 inhibitors such as clarithromycin 

and voriconazole or with inducers of CYP2C19 and/or CYP3A4 (e.g. rifampicin, St. John’s 

wort). Concomitant treatment with digoxin, particularly when given at high doses to elderly 

patients, or concomitant administration of omeprazole with saquinavir/ritonavir, tacrolimus and 

methotrexate. Undesirable effects: Common: abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhoea, flatulence, 

nausea/vomiting, headache. Uncommon: dizziness, paraesthesia, somnolence, insomnia, vertigo, 

increased liver enzymes, dermatitis, pruritus, rash, urticaria, malaise, peripheral oedema. Rare: 

leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, hypersensitivity reactions (e.g. fever, angioedema, anaphylactic 

reaction/shock), hyponatraemia, agitation, confusion, depression, taste disturbance, blurred 

vision, bronchospasm, dry mouth, stomatitis, gastrointestinal Candidiasis, microscopic colitis, 

hepatitis with or without jaundice, alopecia, photosensitivity, arthralgia, myalgia, interstitial 

nephritis, increased sweating. Very rare: agranulcytosis, pancytopenia, hypomagnesaemia, 

aggression, hallucinations, hepatic failure, encephalopathy in patients with pre-existing liver 

disease, erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), 

muscular weakness, gynaecomastia. Not known: Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus. 

Marketing Authorisation Holder: Bayer Limited, The Atrium, Blackthorn Road, Dublin 18, 

Ireland. MA numbers: PA1410/66/1. Further information available from: Bayer Ltd., The Atrium, 

Blackthorn Road, Dublin 18. Tel: 01 2999313. Date of Preparation: October 2015 

L.IE.MKT.CC.11.2015.0432

BUSINESS Jim Curran, Director of Communications & Strategy, IPU 

IPU’s pre-election 

briefing document 

With an election on the 

horizon, the IPU recently 

published its pre-election 

briefing document, which has 

been sent to all the political 

parties with a view to having 

key pharmacy issues included 

in their party’s election 

manifesto. In this article, 

Jim Curran, IPU Director of 

Communications & Strategy, 

provides an overview of the 

policy initiatives pharmacists 

believe would enable them to 

maximise the contribution to 

improving patient care and 

efficiencies in the healthcare 

system, together with some 

key concerns of the sector. 

Expanding role 

for pharmacists 

The IPU wants to work with 

the Department of Health 

and the HSE, as well as other 

healthcare providers and 

stakeholders, to ensure the 

best possible healthcare 

service for patients. The 

opportunity is there to: 

n deliver a higher 

standard of care for 

patients; 

n provide better value 

for taxpayers’ money; 

n develop a more 

efficient healthcare 

system, and 

n contribute to a 

healthier Ireland. 

There are a lot more services 

that can be provided in Irish 

community pharmacies. In 

countries like Canada and the 

UK, for example, pharmacies 

can provide additional services 

like a pharmacy-based 

Minor Ailment Scheme, New 

Medicine Services, extended 

vaccination services and 

chronic disease management, 

which are shown deliver 

significant benefits to both 

patients and the State and to 

take pressure off other parts 

of the healthcare system, 

including GPs and hospitals. 

The IPU wants to extend the 

care and services pharmacists 

provide to patients and 

add even more value to the 

healthcare system. The future 

of the healthcare system 

PHARMACISTS – 

DELIVERING 

HEALTHCARE 

IN THE COMMUNITY 

FOR THE COMMUNITY 

Information for 

Election Candidates 


ests in the advancement of 

pharmacists’ roles and the 

extension of the range of 

services that are provided. 

1. Extended 

Vaccination Service 

Making the flu vaccine 

available in pharmacies 

has significantly improved 

access and promoted 

uptake of this vital public 

health intervention. We are 

pleased that the Minister 

for Health has announced 

that pharmacists will 

now be able to provide 

vaccination for shingles and 

pneumococcal disease. 

Pharmacists in other 

countries routinely offer 

a wider vaccination 

service. In most states of 

the USA, in addition to 

influenza, pharmacists can 

offer vaccination against 

pneumococcal disease, 

meningococcal disease, 

tetanus and hepatitis A and 

B, as well as travel vaccines. 

The IPU would like to see 

pharmacy vaccination 

services extended similarly 

to include a far wider range 

of vaccines. 

2. Minor Ailment Scheme 

It has been estimated 

that the rollout of free GP 

care could lead to more 

than 750,000 extra GP 

consultations per year, 

at a time when GPs are 

already overworked and 

we reportedly face a GP 

manpower crisis. 

Implementation of a 

Minor Ailment Scheme 

would allow medical 

card patients to obtain 

treatments for common 

illnesses free-of-charge 

directly from the local 

community pharmacy. 

Minor ailments which 

could be treated include 

allergic rhinitis or hay fever; 

athlete’s foot; cold sores; 

constipation; dermatitis and 

mild eczema; diarrhoea; 

dysmenorrhoea; emergency 

contraception; fungal skin 

or nail infections; headache; 

heartburn and migraine, 

among others. Similar Minor 

Ailment Schemes have been 

rolled out across the UK and 

in Canada. 

3. Health Check Service 

Early detection of chronic 

illnesses, coupled with 

early intervention and 

treatment, is a cornerstone 

of the Government’s 

Healthy Ireland strategy. 

A pharmacy-based 

health check programme 

would have significant 

advantages in terms of 

reach, accessibility and costeffectiveness. 

Health checks 

could prove effective in 

identifying people at risk of 

developing a chronic disease 

such as diabetes mellitus, 

cardiovascular disease, 

osteoporosis and chronic 

obstructive pulmonary 

disease – particularly those 

who do not routinely attend 

a GP. 

4. New Medicines Service 

People often have problems 

when they start a new 

medicine. A New Medicines 

Service would provide 

support for people with 

certain long term conditions 

who have been prescribed 

a new medicine for the first 

time. The service aims to 

help patients understand 

their condition and to 

improve their medication 

adherence through 

providing clinical support at 

the outset of taking the new 

medicine. Non-adherence 

can result in patients’ 

conditions deteriorating, 

further complications 

arising and can lead to 

premature mortality. A 

pilot carried out by the IPU 

showed that adherence 

increased from 37% to 77% 

after the intervention and 

support of a community 

pharmacist. 

5. Reclassification of 

Medicines 

The IPU would like to 

see a greater role for 

pharmacists in supporting 

self-care and for an 

increase in the number of 

medicines available without 

prescription, in line with 

other countries such as 

the UK and New Zealand. 

This will enable people to 

access treatments for minor 

and self-limiting ailments, 

allowing doctors to focus on 

more complicated illnesses. 

Pharmacists would utilise 

their clinical knowledge to 

help patients choose the 

appropriate medication to 

deal with minor ailments. 

Medicines that could 

be reclassified include 

chloramphenicol eye drops 

and ointment for minor 

eye infections; fluconazole 

tablet or capsule for thrush; 

and low dose aspirin 75mg 

for prevention of heart 

disease and stroke, all of 

which are available without 

prescription in the UK. 

The public is keen for 

pharmacies to provide such 

services. A Behaviour and 

Attitudes survey of 1,000 

people, carried out in March 

2015, confirmed that 92% of 

the public would be in favour 

of pharmacies providing a 

minor ailment scheme and 

94% would be in favour of 

them providing services to 

improve patient adherence to 

medicines. 

Pharmacy-based services 

can improve patient health 

outcomes and free up key 

resources in other areas 

of the health service. In 

Ireland, pharmacists have 

the expertise, skills and 

accessibility to introduce these 

additional services, which 

can assist with improving the 

health and wellbeing of people 

living in Ireland. 

The focus of the healthcare 

system must be on the 

creation of a patient-focused 

health service delivered at 

the lowest level of complexity. 

Pharmacists play a vital role 

in ensuring patient safety and 

wellbeing and are available 

and willing to engage on a 

change agenda, which involves 

expanding the role of the 

pharmacist for the betterment 

of the healthcare system. 

Key pharmacy concerns 

1. Unwinding of Financial 

Emergency Legislation 

– FEMPI Act 

Pharmacists have been 

disproportionately impacted 

by the FEMPI legislation in 

both direct and indirect cuts 

to pharmacy payments. A 

recent review (March 2015) 

by accountants Fitzgerald 

Power calculated that, 

since 2009, the State has 

extracted at least €1.733bn 

in overall savings from 

community pharmacy 

payments, through 

reduced reimbursements 

for medicines, as well 

as significant cuts to 

pharmacists’ remuneration 

“ The future of the healthcare 

system rests in the advancement of 

pharmacists’ roles and the extension of 

the range of services that are provided.” 


through fee reductions and 

elimination of mark-ups on 

State-funded schemes. This 

is a substantial reduction in 

income in a sector that, as 

CSO figures show, continues 

to contract, with increased 

competition and reduced 

expenditure on health. 

Any mechanism 

to unwind the FEMPI 

legislation for other groups 

or professions must be 

applied fairly and equitably 

to pharmacists. There must 

be parity of application 

and of process and the 

unwinding must be fair, 

equitable and proportionate 

to each profession in terms 

of the cuts suffered by each. 

2. Pharmacy Registration Fees 

The cost to pharmacies 

of registration with the 

Pharmaceutical Society of 

Ireland (PSI) is excessive 

and is far out of line with 

international comparisons. 

The annual registration 

fee each pharmacy must 

pay is €2,135 (€3,325 

on first registration). In 

Northern Ireland, the first 

time registration fee for a 

pharmacy premises is €160 

(€218 per annum for each 

year after registration), 

which is only a fraction 

of the cost of registration 

in the Republic of Ireland. 

Pharmacists are also 

charged significant fees 

for minor administrative 

changes to registration 

details. 

Many IPU members have, 

of late, joined buying groups 

and virtual chains due to 

the increasing commercial 

and financial pressures 

on community pharmacy. 

This has resulted in minor 

changes to their trading 

names as the new brand 

name is incorporated; for 

example, Haven, totalhealth, 

Life and so on. In order to 

record this small change 

to the name, the PSI 

demands a fee of €200 per 

pharmacy. By comparison, 

the Companies Registration 

Office (CRO) charges a mere 

€15 to register a change of 

business name or business 

address. 

Other IPU members 

have, as part of a financial 

restructuring process, 

placed their pharmacy in a 

holding company without 

altering the beneficial 

ownership or control of 

the pharmacy. However, 

the PSI invokes section 

17 of the Pharmacy Act 

and insists that this has 

the effect of cancelling 

the original registration 

of the pharmacy, thus 

requiring re-registration at 

a cost of €3,325 – despite 

the ultimate pharmacy 

ownership, superintendent 

pharmacist, supervising 

pharmacist, pharmacy 

premises and pharmacy 

staff all remaining exactly 

the same. Again, by 

comparison, the CRO fee 

for changing the registered 

name of a company is only 

€50 if done online and the 

fee to re-register company 

type is €60. 

ABC Advert JULY2014.pdf 1 28/07/2014 14:41 

It is no longer feasible 

for Irish pharmacists and 

pharmacy businesses 

to pay these fees. It is 

unsustainable for one arm 

of the State, the HSE, to 

continually drive down unit 

payments to the pharmacy 

profession (as has happened 

under the FEMPI Act and 

the Health (Pricing and 

Supply of Medical Goods) 

Act) while, at the same 

time, another arm of the 

State, the PSI, continues to 

levy the highest pharmacy 

registration fees in Europe, 

if not the world. These 

costs need to be brought 

into line with those in 

other European countries, 

including those across the 

border. 

3. Health Centre 

Pharmacies Threat 

Health Centres, with 

pharmacies on site, are 

developing rapidly around 

the country and might 

seem to offer patients a 

convenient one-stop shop. 

However, if pharmacies are 

located in these centres, 

particularly out of town 

centres, they could put 

patient welfare at risk by 

reducing patient choice and 

ready access to pharmacy 

services. The greatest 

impact would be on the 

most vulnerable in our 

communities, including 

the elderly, people with 

chronic illnesses and those 

with limited mobility or 

disabilities. 

The Department of Health 

Primary Healthcare Strategy 

envisages that pharmacy 

services should be dispersed 

throughout the community 

as part of the wider network 

of healthcare providers, with 

appropriate linkages to the 

primary care team, but not 

as part of the primary care 

team. 

In addition to making 

health services less 

accessible, building Primary 

Care Centres in out-oftown 

locations, particularly 

those with a retail element 

such as pharmacy, is 

bad planning and risks 

undermining the viability 

of local communities and 

towns, as well as generating 

significant additional traffic. 

4. Bankruptcy Restrictions 

The Pharmacy Act 2007 

prevents pharmacists 

who are bankrupt from 

remaining on the register of 

pharmacists. Under Section 

14(1)(f) of the Pharmacy Act 

2007, the Pharmaceutical 

Society of Ireland may 

not register a person as a 

pharmacist if they are an 

undischarged bankrupt. The 

restriction is not imposed 

on other healthcare 

professionals and is not 

referenced in bankruptcy 

legislation. There is no 

explanation as to why 

this restriction applies to 

pharmacists alone and the 

IPU believes that it is time 

that it was repealed. 

C 

ABC 

STOCKTAKING SERVICES 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

PHARMACY SPECIALISTS | SAME DAY AUDITABLE REPORTS 

LIVE STOCK INTEGRATION WITH: 

CY 

CMY 

K 

44 Church Street, Tullamore, Co. Offaly Phone/Fax 057 93 20045 

Alan Daly – Director 087 2666431 Darren Donoghue – Manager 086 3809082 

18 


Easofen – for the relief of pain 

Easofen 200mg film-coated tablets. Easofen Max Strength 400mg film-coated tablets. Ibuprofen. 

Clonmel Healthcare Ltd., Waterford Road, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. 

A copy of the summary of product characteristics is available on request. 

Medicinal product available for retail sale through pharmacy only. 

2012/ADV/IBU/113. Date prepared: January 2013

CPD Eamonn Brady, MPSI 

Reflection and 

self-assessment 

Evaluation 

RECORD 

(e.g. portfolio) 

Learning plan 

Action 

(e.g. CE) 

Migraine… not 

just a headache 

Migraine has been found to have a greater impact on 

quality of life than conditions such as heart disease 

and diabetes. The World Health Organisation classifies 

migraine as the 12th leading cause of disability worldwide 

among women and the 19th in the overall population. 

What is migraine? 

Migraine is more than just 

a headache. It is a complex, 

debilitating neurological 

condition. Attacks can last 

from a couple of hours to 

three days. Migraine affects 

12-15% of people worldwide 

(around 1 billion), with a 

similar proportion affected (up 

to 500,000) in Ireland. Migraine 

has a significant genetic 

component; in as many as 

60% of cases, the condition is 

inherited; the more disabling 

the migraine is, the more 

likely there is to be a familial 

connection. 

Prior to puberty, boys 

experience migraine as often 

as girls. Once into adulthood, 

migraine becomes three times 

more common in women 

than in men. This is due in 

large part to the hormonal 

changes in women from 

puberty to menopause. The 

highest prevalence of migraine 

in women is around age 40, 

then tailing off in the postmenopausal 

years. 

Economic and work 

related impacts 

92% of Irish migraineurs 

report that attacks affect their 

performance at work, with 

39% of those being severely 

affected. As a consequence, 

the unemployment rate for 

those with severe migraine 

is two to four times higher 

than the prevailing overall 

rate. Migraine accounts for 

the loss of over half a million 

working days in Ireland each 

year, with 37% of working Irish 

migraineurs missing more 

than five days per annum. The 

resultant cost to the economy 

is at least €250 million. 

Treatment goals 

The aim of treatment is to: 

n relieve the symptoms 

of an acute attack of 

migraine; 

n reduce the frequency, 

severity, and duration of 

migraine attacks; and 

n identify possible 

trigger factors 

20 


CPD overview 

Reflect and Self-Assessment 

o What do I know about migraine and its treatment? 

o Can I identify migraine in a patient presenting in the pharmacy? 

o Am I aware of all the treatment options? 

o Am I able to counsel patients and their carers effectively 

on their treatment? 

Learning Plan 

Including a list of desired learning outcomes in a personal 

learning plan is a helpful self-analytical tool. 

o Create a list of desired learning outcomes. 

o Review professional resource materials available in pharmacy. 

o Review patient support material available in pharmacy. 

Action 

Activities chosen should be outcomes based to meet 

learning objectives. 

o Read this article. 

o Organise brief training overview for dispensary staff to help 

identify symptoms at front line level. 

o Liaise with Migraine Association of Ireland about available 

support material. 

o Signpost www.migraine.ie as patient support resource. 

o Evaluate professional resource materials available in the 

pharmacy and source additional material if necessary. 

o Evaluate patient support material and source additional 

material if necessary. 

Evaluate 

Consider outcomes of learning and impact of learning. 

o Have I met my desired learning outcomes? 

o Do I now feel confident in my understanding of migraine? 

o Am I now able to support patients presenting with 

(suspected) migraine? 

o What further actions / steps can I take to add value to the 

service we offer to migraineurs? 

o Have further learning needs been identified? 

Record 

o Create a record in my CPD portfolio. 

o As part of this record, complete an evaluation, noting whether 

learning outcomes were achieved and identifying any future 

learning needs. 

Causes 

The precise cause is 

unknown; it is generally 

accepted that it relates to 

the abnormal functioning 

of nerve cells that affect 

the brain’s ability to process 

information such as pain, 

light, sounds and other 

sensory stimulants. The 

condition is very specific to 

an individual and is often 

influenced by a varied 

number of ‘trigger factors’. 

Factors can be physical, 

environmental or genetic and, 

in the majority of cases, it can 

be a particular combination 

that will precipitate an attack. 

However, someone may 

experience all or only some 

of these during an attack. 

Identifying ‘trigger factors’ is 

one of the keys to successful 

management of the condition. 

Common symptoms 

The word ‘migraine’ derives 

from a Greek word ‘hemikrani’ 

(half-skull), which literally 

means ‘pain on one side of the 

head’. This accurately describes 

and differentiates migraine 

from other types of headache 

as typically it presents on one 

side of the head. 

An attack may consist of 

some or all of the following 

symptoms: 

Migraine without aura 

(around 80% of all attacks): 

n moderate to severe pain, 

throbbing one-sided 

headache aggravated by 

movement. 

n nausea and/or vomiting. 

n hypersensitivity to 

external stimuli (i.e. 

noise, smells, light). 

n stiffness in neck and 

shoulders. 

n pale appearance. 

Migraine with aura (in addition 

to above symptoms): 

n aura, around 20% 

experience visual 

disturbances prior to 

the headache lasting 

up to one hour (most 

commonly blind spots, 

flashing light effect or 

zigzag patterns; may 

also include physical 

sensations such as 

unilateral pins and 

needles in fingers, arm 

and then face). 

The following symptoms 

are atypical neurological 

aura symptoms and further 

investigation should be 

considered: 

n Blurred vision 

n Confusion 

n Slurred speech 

n Loss of co-ordination 

Trigger factors 

Identifying trigger factors is 

not always possible. Often 

there is no obvious cause, or 

there are multiple triggers, 

which may have to combine 

and overcome a ‘threshold’ 

to precipitate an attack. 

These can be different for 

everyone and may differ 

for an individual each time 

depending on their situation. 

The following are factors 

which may predispose to 

migraine: 

n Stress 

n Relaxation after stress, 

so-called ‘weekend 

migraine’ 

n Altered sleep patterns 

n Menstruation 

n Menopause 

Environmental Triggers 

Just moving around doing 

normal day-to-day activities 

can be an aggravating factor 

during the onset of a migraine. 

Other factors include: 

n Bright or flickering 

lights (i.e. cinema, shop 

displays or sunlight 

through trees whilst 

driving). 

n Certain types of lighting 

(fluorescent, strobe). 

n Strong smells (especially 

perfume, paint etc.). 

n Weather (variety of 

factors, i.e. bright sun 

glare, muggy close days, 

humidity). 

n TV/Computer screens 

and monitors. 

n Loud and persistent 

noise. 


n Travel, jet lag, areas of 

pressure change, i.e. 

altitude. 

Dietary Triggers 

Research indicates that about 

20% of migraine attacks 

are brought on by dietary 

factors. However, actual 

scientific evidence proving a 

link is virtually nonexistent. 

Dietary factors should only be 

suspected as a trigger when 

migraine occurs within six 

hours of intake and this effect 

is reasonably reproducible. 

Once a food has been 

identified as a trigger, a trial of 

avoidance can be undertaken 

to see if the migraine 

improves. In many cases, there 

may be other factors that 

precede consuming a ‘suspect’ 

food that could contribute 

more to the onset of an attack, 

i.e. lack of sleep, skipping 

meals, dehydration. 

The most commonly cited 

trigger is foods that are high in 

the amino acids tyramine and/ 

or phenylethylamine such as: 

n cheese (fermented, aged 

or hard mouldy types). 

n chocolate. 

n alcohol (beer and red 

wine particularly). 

n caffeine (coffee, tea, 

etc. although caffeine 

can be used to prevent 

migraine, really down to 

personal tolerance). 

n nitrites (common in 

processed meats). 

n sulphites (e.g. 

preservative, dried fruit, 

red and white wine). 

n additives (MSG). 

n aspartame (diet drinks). 

Hormonal Triggers 

Once females move into 

puberty and then adulthood, 

hormones play an increasing 

role in migraine prevalence. 

Oestrogen fluctuations due 

to menstruation or through 

the use of oral contraceptive 

pills or HRT can sometimes 

trigger migraine. Conversely, 

migraine susceptibility can 

decrease during pregnancy 

when oestrogen levels are 

high. Migraine attacks tend 

to lessen post menopause 

(although can increase in the 

years preceding it). 

Identifying triggers can be 

the single most important 

step in helping manage the 

condition as appropriate 

preventative steps and actions 

can be taken. 

A headache diary can be 

useful in this instance and 

is ideally used for a minimum 

of eight weeks and should 

record: 

n frequency, duration and 

severity of headaches; 

n any associated 

symptoms; 

n all prescribed and overthe-counter 

medications 

taken to relieve 

headaches and their 

effect; 

n possible triggers; and 

n relationship of 

headaches to 

menstruation. 

Preventative medication 

for migraine 

Prophylactic medication may 

be considered if the patient 

has taken adequate lifestyle 

steps to prevent migraine 

such as using a headache 

diary to determine triggers 

and avoidance of these 

triggers but the migraine 

continues. It would be 

reasonable for a prescriber 

to consider prophylaxis for 

migraine if a patient must 

use analgesics for eight or 

more days of the month. 

Prophylactic medication 

should be tried for four to six 

months at a reasonable dose 

to determine if it is working 

effectively. Prophylactic 

medication has potential 

side-effects that can limit 

dose or use. Amitriptyline, 

propranolol, topiramate and 

flunarizine are commonly 

prescribed migraine 

prophylactic medication 

with amitriptyline being the 

most commonly prescribed. 

Other prophylactics such as 

sodium valproate, pregabalin, 

gabapentin and pizotifen 

are considered second line 

(only used if the first line 

treatments are not tolerated 

or are ineffective). 

Amitriptyline 

A tricyclic antidepressant, but 

not used much for depression 

due to side-effects such as 

drowsiness, constipation, 

dry mouth, vivid dreams or 

nightmares and risks in people 

with glaucoma. It is dangerous 

in overdose. Low dose may 

be effective in preventing 

migraine; the dose for migraine 

varies between 10mg to 150mg 

but the lower the better and 

it should only be titrated up 

slowly. Use for six months 

at maximum tolerated dose 

before considering changing. 

Topiramate (Topamax ® ) 

Topiramate is primarily used 

to treat epilepsy but is also 

used to prevent migraine. It 

should be used in caution 

in those with liver or kidney 

problems and avoided in 

pregnancy. Possible sideeffects 

include nausea, 

vomiting, constipation, 

diarrhoea, decreased appetite, 

drowsiness and sleeping 

problems. The recommended 

dose for migraine prophylaxis 

is 25mg to 200mg twice daily. 

Starting dose is 25mg at night 

for two to eight weeks and 

increase gradually. 

Propranolol (Inderal ® ) 

This beta blocker is 

traditionally used to treat 

angina and blood pressure, 

but is rarely used for these 

indications due to the 

development of safer newer 

versions of beta blockers with 

less side-effects. However, 

in low doses, it is used for 

migraine prophylaxis in some 

patients. It should be used 

in caution in patients with 

asthma, COPD, some heart 

problems and diabetes. Sideeffects 

include cold hands 

and feet, pins and needles, 

tiredness and sleeping 

problems. 

Flunarizine (Sibelium ® ) 

Treatment is started at 

10mg daily (at night) for 

adult patients aged 18 to 64 

years and at 5mg daily (at 

night) for elderly patients 

aged 65 years and older. 

If, during this treatment, 

depressive, extrapyramidal 

or other unacceptable 

adverse experiences occur, 

administration should be 

discontinued. Patients should 

be regularly reviewed to assess 

their response to treatment 

and if a sustained attackfree 

period is established, 

interrupted flunarizine 

treatment should be 

considered. If the patient is 

responding satisfactorily and 

a maintenance treatment is 

needed, the same daily dose 

should be used, but this time 

interrupted by two successive 

drug-free days every week, e.g. 

Saturday and Sunday. Even if 

the preventative maintenance 

treatment is successful and 

well tolerated, it should be 

interrupted after six months 

and it should be re-initiated 

only if the patient relapses. 

Side-effects include increased 

weight, increased appetite, 

depression, insomnia, 

constipation, stomach 

discomfort and nausea. 

Gabapentin 

Like topirimate, gabapentin 

is traditionally used to treat 

epilepsy. It may be used 

if topirimate, flunarizine 

or propranolol are neither 

effective nor tolerated. 

However, recent studies have 

indicated that gabapentin 

may not be as effective for 

preventing migraine as first 

thought. This is an unlicensed 

indication for gabapentin. 

Side-effects include dizziness, 

drowsiness, appetite increase, 

weight gain and suicidal 

thoughts. 

Sodium valproate is another 

epilepsy drug occasionally 

used for migraine prevention 

if other prevention options 

fail are not tolerated, this 

is an unlicensed indication 

for sodium valproate. 

Other preventative 

medicines include pizotifen 

(Sanomigran®) and pregabalin 

(Lyrica®) – an unlicensed 

indication for pregabalin. 

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) 

There has been some 

indication that Vitamin B2 

supplementation may help 

prevent migraine; however, 

this has not been proven. 

Treatment 

The key to successful 

treatment is to establish 

correct diagnosis of migraine 

and eliminate other potential 

causes (tension or cluster 

headache in particular). Some 

22 


time spent with patients at 

an early stage reviewing their 

current medication regime 

is also hugely beneficial in 

identifying and/or preventing 

‘medicine overuse headache’. 

In acute treatments, the goal 

is to stop or at least alleviate, 

the effects of an attack once it 

has begun. 

Analgesics 

Analgesics are used to target 

area-specific pain and, if 

taken as early as possible 

once an attack begins, are 

hugely effective. Paracetamol, 

aspirin and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory 

agents such 

as ibuprofen are all highly 

effective in treating migraine. 

Combination analgesia with 

preparations that contain 

aspirin or paracetamol along 

with another agent such as 

codeine or caffeine can also be 

considered. 

Anti-emetics 

Anti-emetics have an 

independent action on 

migraine, so should be 

considered even if nausea 

or vomiting are not present. 

Choices include: 

n Domperidone 10mg, 

up to three doses in 

24 hours (as tablets or 

suspension). 

n Metoclopramide 10mg, 

up to three doses in 

24 hours (as tablets 

or suspension, not 

recommended in 

children). 

n Prochlorperazine buccal 

tablets 3mg to 6mg, up 

to two doses in 24 hours. 

Triptans 

Triptans are indicated for use 

in patients aged 18 to 65 years 

of age and are highly effective, 

reducing the symptoms or 

aborting the attack within 

30 to 90 minutes in 70-80% 

of patients. Triptans target 

those neural serotonin 

receptors specifically involved 

in migraine attacks and can 

be used in the treatment of 

migraine, with or without 

aura. All are available in tablet 

form, with some brands also 

available as fast melt tabs, 

nasal spray or SC injection. 

Advise the patient to take 

Drug name Strength Maximum 

dose 

in 24-hour 

period 

Pain relief 

at 2 hours 

Your 5-minute 

assessment 

Answer the following five 

questions true or false: 

% chance of experiencing 

Complete 

freedom 

from pain 

at 2 hours 

Sustained 

response, 

no adverse 

event 

Recurrence 

Almotriptan 12.5mg Tabs 25mg 56% 25% 13% 33% 

Almogran ® 

Frovatriptan 2.5mg Tabs 5mg Not 

Frovex ® available 

Sumatriptan 

Imigran ® 

Zolmitriptan 

Zomig ® 

50 & 100mg 

Ftabs 

10 & 20mg 

Nasal Spray 

6mg SC 

2.5mg Tabs 

& FTabs 

300mg 

40mg 

12mg 

Not 

available 

Not 

available 

Not 

available 

61% 32% 15% 31% 

10mg 63% 29% 14% 31% 

Eletriptan 40mg Tabs 80mg 69% 39% 21% 26% 

Relpax ® 

Naratriptan 2.5mg Tabs 5mg 49% 18% 11% 20% 

Naramig ® 

the triptan as soon as pain 

develops (but not during aura, 

if present). After the first dose 

has been taken: 

n If the triptan 

successfully relieves 

pain, but there is relapse, 

a dose of triptan can be 

repeated within two to 

four hours. 

n If the triptan is 

ineffective, a further 

dose is unlikely to be 

effective and should not 

be taken. The exception 

to this is zolmitriptan 

(2.5mg), where an 

additional 5mg dose can 

be tried after two hours 

even if the first dose was 

unsuccessful. 

Triptans should not be taken 

by patients with: 

n Uncontrolled or severe 

hypertension. 

n Cardiovascular disease, 

or are at high risk of 

cardiovascular disease. 

n Coronary vasospasm 

(including Prinzmetal’s 

angina). 

The table above shows those 

triptans available in Ireland 

along with information from 

trials about effectiveness over 

the course of an episode. They 

are licenced for treatment 

where migraine has been 

diagnosed and not for the 

treatment of hemiplegic, basilar 

or ophthalmologic migraine. 

Currently, all triptans are 

classified as prescription 

only-medicines. The HPRA 

has listed sumatriptan 

as a product suitable for 

reclassification as a nonprescription 

medicine. 

Pharmacist’s role 

n Familiarise yourself 

with diagnostic criteria 

(available on www. 

migraine.ie) to recognise 

migraine and distinguish 

between migraine and 

other headache types, e.g. 

cluster headaches, tension 

headache. 

n Inquire what treatments 

and medication the patient 

has used already to treat 

the headaches. 

n Discuss how timing of 

triptan administration can 

reduce symptoms of attack. 

n Advise on identifying 

triggers to prevent migraine 

attacks. 

n Discuss preventative 

medication for migraine. 

n Signpost the Migraine 

Association of Ireland 

Helpline: 1850 200 378 

(ROI) and website, 

www.migraine.ie. 

1. Migraine is the 19th leading cause of disability worldwide. 

2. The cause of migraine is well-known and easily identifiable. 

3. NSAIDs can be taken to prevent onset of a migraine. 

4. Triptans can be used to treat all types of migraine. 

5. Sumatriptan is available without prescription in the 

Republic of Ireland. 

Answers: 

1. True. 2. False. 3. False. 4. False. 5. False. 


AWARDS 

totalhealth 

pharmacy 

awards 2015 

The totalhealth Pharmacy Awards Ceremony & Gala Ball was 

held on Sunday 30th October in the Sheraton Hotel Athlone. 

This was the first 

Gala Ball for 

the group and 

the night was 

attended by over 

300 pharmacists, staff and 

employees of totalhealth 

Pharmacy along with 

industry partners. 

totalhealth Pharmacy is a 

network comprising 63 of 

Ireland’s independently owned 

retail pharmacies located 

right around the country. 

The key focus of the night 

was the Pharmacy Award 

Ceremony which was a 

celebration of excellence 

within the group. Awards 

were presented in 6 different 

categories including, Brand 

Ambassador of the Year, 

Excellence in Customer 

Service, Best Merchandised 

Pharmacy, Social Media 

Champions, Team Award 

Winner of the Year 2015 and 

Most Improved Pharmacy of 

the Year 2015. The winners 

came from right across the 

country and that connectivity 

and partnership among 

members was truly evident 

on the night. 

01 

02 

03 

04 

01 Cloughjordan totalhealth Pharmacy & Peter Fox totalhealth Pharmacy, Birr. 02 Brogan’s totalhealth Pharmacy, Loughrea, Co. Galway. 

03 Weir’s totalhealth Pharmacy, Mullingar. 04 Kieran’s totalhealth Pharmacies, Carrick-on-Shannon & Mohill, Co. Leitrim. 05 O’Hanlon & Ballymahon 

totalhealth Pharmacies, Ballymahon, Co. Longford. 06 Baxter’s totalhealth Pharmacy, Longford. 07 Malone’s totalhealth Pharmacy, Kilrush, Co. Clare. 

08 Curley’s totalhealth Pharmacy, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo. 09 Feely’s totalhealth Pharmacy, Tuam, Co. Galway. 10Joanne Hynes totalhealth Pharmacy, 

Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo. 11 McGuinness totalhealth Pharmacy, Main Street, Roscommon. 12 Milltown totalhealth Pharmacy, Milltown, Dublin. 

13 Ray Walsh totalhealth Pharmacy, Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. 14 Tully’s totalhealth Pharmacy, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon. 15 O’Meara’s totalhealth 

Pharmacy, Scariff, Co. Clare. 16 McGrotty’s totalhealth Pharmacy, Ennistymon, Co. Clare. 17 Ann Gray’s totalhealth Pharmacy, Castletroy, Limerick. 

18 Achill totalhealth Pharmacy, Achill Island, Co. Mayo. 19 Rose Finlay totalhealth Pharmacy, Tullamore, Co. Offaly.

05 

06 

07 

08 

09 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19

PROFESSIONAL Gary Rice and Aidan Healy, DAC Beachcroft Solicitors 

Unexpected cost: 

registration fees 

on a change of 

ownership 

There are many commercial reasons for a 

change in ownership of a business, from a 

need for extra capital to ownership structures 

and succession planning. But what is the 

impact of this decision on the registration of 

your business with the Pharmaceutical Society 

of Ireland (PSI), what are the hidden cost 

implications to your business of such a decision 

and how can you best handle the problem? 

26 


Key points 

n Disposal or 

acquisition of 

any part of your 

business can result 

in re-registration 

requirement. 

n The legislation 

applies to all 

pharmacies. 

n Cost to your 

business may be 

in excess of €3,325 

per pharmacy. 

n Additional costs 

may well apply if 

the re-registration 

deadline is missed. 

Section 17 of the 

Pharmacy Act 2007 

(the Act), states 

that a ‘change in 

the ownership of a 

retail pharmacy business shall 

have the effect of cancelling 

its registration’. The section 

then goes on to detail specific 

instances where this may 

occur including: 

n A change in one of 

the co-owners of a 

pharmacy; 

n An additional co-owner 

joining the business; 

n The acquisition or 

disposal by a companyowned 

pharmacy of a 

certain amount of shares 

in the company. 

This article will explore how 

these situations may occur, 

why the costs are triggered 

and how to best handle the 

problem when it does happen. 

The ‘How’ 

A change in ownership, for 

the purposes of the Act, may 

occur in many circumstances 

where the ownership, or part 

ownership, of a pharmacy 

or pharmacy business is 

transferred to another 

pharmacist or company. 

While ‘owner’ is generally 

considered, from a legal 

perspective to mean ‘beneficial 

owner’, the Act favours the 

term ‘pharmacy owner’. A 

‘pharmacy owner’ is defined 

as being a person/persons or 

entity entitled to the profits 

and liable to sustain the losses 

of the business. It is arguable 

that it would have been more 

appropriate to use the term 

‘beneficial owner’ (which is, 

in the case of a company, 

an entity holding at least 

25% plus one share or for a 

business/group one which 

has a controlling interest). 

Using this definition may 

have resulted in less onerous 

obligations on pharmacy 

owners. 

Take, for example, a local 

family-owned pharmacy 

where a parent wishes to pass 

the business on to their child 

who has followed them into 

the profession. They may do 

this by bringing their child in 

as a co-owner of the business. 

The intention, in this instance, 

would be to ensure that the 

future of the business will be 

more stable and allow for a 

more seamless transition of 

the business when desired. 

This would however trigger a 

re-registration requirement. 

In addition, where that child 

subsequently takes over the 

business when the parent 

decides to retire entirely, this 

change will again trigger a reregistration 

event. 

The above example would 

also apply to a large pharmacy 

or a medium-sized group 

of pharmacies. Where an 

additional owner is added 

to the business, this would 

trigger an event requiring a reregistration 

with the PSI. 

Similarly, in the case of a 

corporate entity that wishes 

to reorganise its corporate 

structure for legitimate tax or 

commercial reasons, changes 

in respect of ownership of 

more than 50% of the shares 

in the company will result in 

the requirement to re-register. 

This is the case whether the 

restructuring is the result of 

an acquisition or a disposal of 

the shares. 

As is clear from the above 

examples, if the Act had 

allowed for the beneficial 

ownership of the business to 

be the deciding factor, many 

of the above circumstances 

would not have required the 

owner to re-register. In the 

case of the family business, 

because the parent retained 

50% control, there would 

be no transfer of beneficial 

ownership. Similarly, where 

a group of pharmacies add 

or remove an owner, so long 

as they would not acquire or 

dispose of more than 50% of 

their interest, there would 

have been no re-registration 

requirement. 

The ‘Why’ 

Section 17 appears to operate 

to ensure that the PSI 

maintains a full and accurate 

record of all pharmacies 

trading in the State. While it is 

quite understandable for the 

PSI to require each pharmacy 

to notify it of the addition of 

a pharmacist to the staff in 

a business or the addition of 

a pharmacist as co-owner, 

it is clear that in any of the 

above instances the current 

requirement is an onerous one 

and, in many circumstances, 

its relevance to public 

health and patient safety is 

questionable. 

In relation to re-registration, 

each separate pharmacy or 

unit must be re-registered 

with the PSI. The cost of reregistration 

for each unit is, 

at the time of going to press, 

€3,325. In any of the above 

instances, a fee of this kind 

would have a significant 

impact on the cash-flow of the 

business. Take, for example, 

the family-owned pharmacy. 

If this business held a unit in 

a major county town and two 

further units in villages/towns 

around the county, the cost 

to the business of adding the 

child as a co-owner would be a 

minimum of €9,975. 

A further example might 

be a group of pharmacies 

undergoing restructuring. 

It may be the case, for 

example, that an additional 

holding company acquires 

shares in the group. While 

the beneficial owners of the 

holding company may be the 

same as the group owners, 

the ‘new owner’ of the group 

would be required to register 

every pharmacy or unit with 

the PSI. In circumstances 

where the group has 15-20 

pharmacies, the cost to the 

group would be between 

€49,875 and €66,500. 

How you can handle 

this process 

If you are planning on changes 

to the ownership or ownership 

structure of your business, it 

is advisable to consider the 

following steps: 

1. Be well advised on your 

circumstances. Does 

Section 17 apply in your 

case and, if so, have you 

factored in the cost of 

registration into your 

decision? 

2. Be aware that the 

cancellation of registration 

and hence the requirement 

for re-registration generally 

occurs 28 days after the 

change in ownership. 

3. Be aware that reregistration 

will trigger 

a PSI ‘new opening’ 

inspection. 

4. Note that re-registration 

will also require you to 

apply for a new GMS 

contract. 

While possible reregistration 

is likely to be one 

of the last factors considered 

when examining a change 

in ownership or ownership 

structure, the re-registration 

process, if ignored, can result 

in significant costs being 

added to your transaction 

in addition to fees for reinspection 

and for missing 

filing deadlines. You should 

therefore ensure that you are 

well advised in relation to any 

decisions of this kind. 

As always, be prepared. 

Gary Rice (grice@dacbeachcroft. 

com) and Aidan Healy (ahealy@ 

dacbeachcroft.com) of DAC 

Beachcroft Solicitors (01 231 

9600) are specialists in the 

commercial and regulatory issues 

which arise for pharmacies and 

pharmacists. They would like to 

thank Niall Sexton, Solicitor at 

DAC Beachcroft, for his assistance 

in preparing this article. DAC 

Beachcroft, a global law firm, is 

a recognised market leader in 

healthcare law. This article is for 

general information purposes 

only and does not comprise legal 

advice on any particular matter. 

You should not rely on any of the 

material in this article without 

seeking appropriate legal advice. 


PROFESSIONAL Michael O’Grady, Pharmacy Schemes Underwriter, AIC Glennon 

Professional 

indemnity insurance 

– an employee / 

locum perspective 

Professional Indemnity Insurance is 

an important consideration for all 

professional pharmacists who work in 

a community pharmacy. In this article, 

Michael O’Grady, Pharmacy Schemes 

Underwriter, AIC Glennon, talks 

about the insurance exposures facing 

employee and locum pharmacists 

working in a community pharmacy. 

Does an employee/ 

locum pharmacist need 

professional indemnity 

insurance? 

There is no statutory 

requirement for employee 

or locum pharmacists 

to maintain professional 

insurance for their work in 

a Retail Pharmacy Business. 

The statutory obligation 

to maintain professional 

indemnity insurance on a 

continual basis lies with the 

Pharmacy Owner. 

However, every employee 

and locum pharmacist 

working in a Retail Pharmacy 

Business should ensure 

that he/she is covered by 

an appropriate professional 

indemnity policy of insurance 

in respect of the work that 

they undertake in any Retail 

Pharmacy Business. 

28 


• Ireland’s only compounding facility for 

extemporaneously prepared medicinal 

products, manufacturing a bespoke 

range of products under GMP. 

IS YOUR PHARMACY 

COMPLIANT WITH THE 

LATEST PSI GUIDANCE? 

Are you aware that significant 

implications have been placed on 

community pharmacies & pharmacists 

as a result of the published ‘Guidance 

for Pharmacists on Extemporaneous 

Dispensing’ 

• Comprehensive range of exempt 

medicinal products available 

including cold chain & 

controlled drugs. 

• HPRA authorized Manufacturer 

& Wholesale Distributor. 

• No Minimum order quantity & 

FREE NEXT DAY DELIVERY 

including Saturdays. 

• Experienced team available to 

answer all your queries. 

QM Specials, Mayfield Business Park, Lismore, Co. Waterford. 

t: 058 72111 f: 058 72333 e: info@qmspecials.ie 

www.qmspecials.ie 

Opening Hours: 

9.00am - 5.30pm Monday to Friday 

WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING BUSINESS 

WITH YOUR PHARMACY

Does an employee/ 

locum pharmacist need 

insurance cover for legal 

representation under the 

psi’s fitness to practise 

(ftp) procedures? 

Similar to professional 

indemnity insurance, there 

is no statutory requirement 

for employee or locum 

pharmacists to have insurance 

cover for legal representation 

under the PSI’s Fitness to 

Practise procedures. However, 

we would always recommend 

that any employee and locum 

pharmacist be protected by 

such insurance cover. 

Alleged offences under the 

Pharmacy Act 2007, which are 

committed by the Pharmacy 

Owner and/or Operator of a 

Retail Pharmacy Business, 

may be covered by a legal 

fees protection insurance 

policy, but Fitness to Practise 

proceedings may only be 

initiated against a professional 

pharmacist registered with the 

PSI. It is important, therefore, 

that all pharmacists working 

in a community pharmacy, 

including employee and 

locum pharmacists, should 

be covered by an appropriate 

legal fees protection policy 

that provides cover for 

legal representation related 

to PSI Fitness to Practise 

proceedings. 

Does professional 


provide cover for legal 


PSI’s Fitness to Practise 

(FTP) procedures? 

No. Professional Indemnity 

Insurance policies provide 

cover for claims arising 

from unintended breaches 

of professional duty. Claims 

under a Professional 

Indemnity Insurance policy 

tend to involve an allegation 

of malpractice on the part of a 

pharmacist, e.g. a dispensing 

error. Fitness to Practise 

proceedings may be initiated 

by the PSI against a registered 

pharmacist as a consequence 

of matters entirely unrelated 

to a conventional malpractice 

claim, e.g. an alleged 

discourtesy to patients, an 

alleged dependency on alcohol 

or drugs. 

Cover for legal 

representation under the PSI’s 

Fitness to Practise procedures 

can be covered under a 

separate, stand-alone legal 

fees protection policy. 

Does your legal fees 

insurance extend 

to provide legal 

representation for 

Employee/Locum 

Pharmacists that are 

subject to PSI Fitness to 

Practise proceedings? 

Yes. Subject to approval from 

the policyholder, the AIC 

Glennon Legal Fees Protection 

Scheme for Pharmacists will 

extend to provide cover for 

employee/locum pharmacists 

that are subject to PSI Fitness 

to Practise proceedings. 

Does your professional 


extend to provide cover 

for employee/locum 

pharmacists? 

Yes. The AIC Glennon 

Professional Indemnity 

Scheme for Pharmacists 

provides cover for unintended 

breaches of professional duty 

on the part of the owner 

and/or operator of a Retail 

Pharmacy Business, and any 

employee/locum pharmacists 

working in the pharmacy – 

subject to approval from the 

policyholder. 

How can an employee/ 

locum pharmacist check 

if he/she is covered 

by an appropriate 


insurance policy and 

a legal fees protection 

insurance policy 

which covers legal 


psi’s fitness to practise 

procedures? 

Employee/Locum pharmacists 

should check with the Owner 

and/or Operator of any 

Retail Pharmacy Business in 

which they are working to 

ensure that the Professional 

Indemnity and Legal Fees 

Protection insurances in place 

for the pharmacy premises 

provide an indemnity for 

breaches of professional duty 

and legal representation 

under PSI Fitness to Practise 

proceedings, respectively. 

Given the nature of their 

work and the numerous 

pharmacy premises in 

which they are employed, 

locum pharmacists should 

ensure that these checks are 

undertaken for each Retail 

Pharmacy Business in which 

they work. If this is not 

practical, locum pharmacists 

should ideally arrange their 

own insurance cover, to ensure 

that they are not working in 

a Retail Pharmacy Business 

without the appropriate 

insurance cover. 

What should an 

Employee/Locum 

Pharmacist do if he/she 

is not covered by both an 

appropriate Professional 

Indemnity Insurance 

policy and a Legal Fees 

Protection insurance 

policy that covers legal 


PSI’s Fitness to Practise 

procedures? 

Employee/Locum pharmacists 

should arrange an appropriate 

policy of insurance to protect 

their position in the event of 

a claim being made against 

them, which is not covered 

by any policy of insurance 

arranged by the Owner/ 

Operator of a Retail Pharmacy 

Business in which they work. 

AIC Glennon has previously 

assisted employee and locum 

pharmacists with queries in 

this regard. 

If an employee 

pharmacist takes up 

employment with a new 

pharmacy and a claims 

arises as a consequence 

of an alleged breach of 

professional duty at a 

previous pharmacy, are 

they covered by a policy 

of insurance? 

Ordinarily, claims of 

professional negligence are 

made against the Owner 

and/or Operator of a Retail 

Pharmacy Business, as 

opposed to an employee/ 

locum pharmacist. An 

appropriately arranged 


insurance policy will provide 

cover for employee/locum 

pharmacists, as well as the 

Owner and/or Operator of a 

Retail Pharmacy Business. 

If an employee pharmacist 

leaves the employment of a 

pharmacy, an appropriately 

arranged professional 

indemnity insurance policy 

should (subject to approval 

from the policyholder) provide 

an indemnity for future claims 

of professional negligence, 

relating to the alleged 

negligence of that pharmacist, 

whilst they were working in 

that pharmacy. 

An appropriately arranged 

professional indemnity policy 

will also provide the same 

cover for locum pharmacists. 

The above is given by way of 

general advice only and should 

not be relied upon by an employee 

or locum pharmacist as to the 

cover applicable under any specific 

policy of insurance in place for 

their employer or the Owner/ 

Operator of any Retail Pharmacy 

Business in which they work. 

AIC Glennon may be 

contacted on 01 619 1100 / 

pharmacy@aicglennon.ie. 

30 


RECOMMENDED 

BY ORTHOPAEDIC 

SPECIALISTS AND 

PHYSIOTHERAPISTS 

The food 

supplement 

that maintains 

joint integrity 

and function 1 

MOVIAL PLUS 

Movial Plus is indicated in diseases characterised by joint cartilage 

degeneration (e.g. osteoarthritis due to sporting activity or ageing), because it: 

• Increases synovial fluid production 2 

• Maintains joint cartilage function 3 

• Improves physical recuperation 4 

Movial Plus also reduces the global cost of treatment for its dual anti-inflammatory 

and analgesic effects. 

Movial Plus improves patient quality of life! 

Available from your local wholesaler. Recommended Selling Price: €19.95 

1. Torrent A, et al. Anti-inflammatory activity and absorption of a natural rooster comb extract. Osteoarthritis and cartilage, 2010 Oct; 18 (Suppl 2): S246-7. 2. Adam N, Ghosh P. 

Hyaluronan molecular weight and polydispersity in some commercial intra-articular injectable preparations and in synovial fluid. Inflamm Res 2001 Jun; 50 (6): 294-9. 3. Torrent A, 

et al. Comparative efficacy of IB0004, extracted hyaluronic acid (HA) and fermented HA on the synthesis of endogenous HA by human synoviocytes. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 

2009 Sep; 17 (Suppl 1): S278-9. 4. Kalman DS, et al. Effect of a natural extract of chicken combs with a high content of hyaluronic acid on pain relief and quality of life in subjects 

with knee osteoarthritis: a pilot randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Nutrition Journal 2008 Jan 21; 7: 3. 

freephone: 1800 816 005 

email: info@scopehealthcare.ie 

visit: www.scopehealthcare.ie 

SCOPEIE0032

BUSINESS Jim Power, Economist 

The economy 

in 2015 and 

the prospects 

for 2016 

As 2015 has progressed, the 

recovery story has steadily 

gathered momentum and is 

becoming increasingly more 

broadly based. The Greater 

Dublin Area is clearly leading 

the recovery, but there is a 

discernible improvement in 

many parts of the country. 

The economic 

growth numbers 

over the past year 

have been very 

strong and show 

that since the final quarter 

of 2007, the Irish economy 

has experienced the fastest 

growth in the developed 

world. At the end of 2014, the 

level of GDP and GNP regained 

the levels of economic 

activity seen in 2007, just 

prior to the crash. They 

have subsequently moved 

significantly higher, with 

GDP this year expected to 

expand by around 6.3%. This 

is a remarkable achievement 

following such a calamitous 

economic crash and the very 

severe fiscal adjustment 

programme that has seen 

significant pressure on public 

expenditure and a very severe 

increase in the personal sector 

tax burden. Between 2008 

and 2014, respective budgets 

extracted €29.8 billion from 

the economy. 

The Consumer 

One of the main caveats in 

relation to the recovery over 

the past couple of years 

has been the fragility of 

the consumer. While still 

pertinent, it is clear that 

the consumer dynamics in 

the economy are gradually 

improving. In the first nine 

months of the year, the 

volume of retail sales was 

8.9% higher than the same 

period in 2014 and was 5.4% 

higher in value terms. When 

sales in the motor trade are 

excluded (car sales were up 

30% in the first 10 months of 

the year), the growth in retail 

spending is somewhat more 

subdued. In the first nine 

months, the value of sales 

increased by 2.6% and the 

volume of sales increased by 

6.2%. However, in the month 

of September the volume of 

overall retail sales was 8.6% 

higher than a year earlier 

and the value of sales was 

32 


4.9% higher. When auto 

sales are excluded there was 

annual volume growth of 8% 

and value growth of 4.1%, 

these numbers suggesting 

a consumer sector that is 

coming back to life. 

Consumers remain pricesensitive 

and there is still 

considerable resistance to 

higher prices across the 

consumer spectrum. However, 

the situation is improving at a 

significant pace. 

Inflationary pressures in 

the economy remain very 

subdued. In the first 10 

months of the year, average 

prices were 0.3% lower than 

the equivalent period in 2014. 

In the year to October, average 

consumer prices were 0.2% 

lower than a year earlier. Food 

prices were down by 1.5%; 

energy prices were down by 

10.9%; clothing & footwear 

prices were down by 3.3%; and 

Utilities & Local Charges were 

up by 9.1%. In aggregate, the 

price of goods was 4% lower 

than a year earlier, while the 

price of services increased by 

2.8%. 

Consumer confidence 

continues to trend upwards 

and in September was at 

the highest level since 

February 2006. The ongoing 

improvement in the 

economy, the stronger labour 

market, better prospects 

for wages and the changed 

fiscal environment are all 

combining to boost general 

consumer confidence. This 

improvement in confidence 

is gradually translating into 

stronger consumer spending. 

This trend looks set to 

continue. 

The Labour Market 

The labour market has 

continued to improve in 2015. 

In October, the number of 

people signing on the Live 

Register fell to 332,200 on a 

seasonally adjusted basis, 

which represents a decline 

of 77,400 over the past two 

years and a decline of 31,600 

in the first 10 months of 2015. 

The Live Register is not a 

measure of unemployment as 

it includes part-time workers 

who work up to three days per 

week and seasonal and casual 

Figure 1 / GDP & GNP (seasonally adjusted) 

Figure 2 / Consumer Price Inflation 

workers who are entitled to 

Jobseekers Allowance and/or 

Jobseekers Benefit. However, 

it does provide a good gauge 

of general labour market 

conditions. The decline in the 

number of people signing on 

the live register is consistent 

with other labour market 

indicators. 

The unemployment rate 

and employment creation 

are better indicators of the 

real labour market situation. 

Total employment in the 

economy reached 1.98 million 

in September 2015, which 

represents an increase of 

56,000 or 2.9% over the past 

year. The increase in total 

employment in the year to 

September was comprised 

of an increase of 59,400 in 

full-time employment and 

a decline of 3,400 in parttime 

employment. The 

unemployment rate declined 

to 9.1% of the labour force 

in the third quarter and the 

long-term unemployment 

rate fell to 5%. Long-term 

unemployment accounted for 

54.1% of total unemployment 

in the third quarter, which is 

down from 58.4% two years 

earlier. Total employment 

in the economy in the third 

quarter was 139,700 higher 

Source: CSO 

Source: CSO 

than the bottom of the labour 

market in 2012. 

From a sectoral perspective, 

the news is equally good. 

Of the 13 sectors analysed 

by the CSO, all but two 

recorded growth in the year to 

September. The Wholesale & 

Retail sector and the Financial 

Services & Real Estate sector 

saw modest declines. The 

construction sector was the 

strongest performer, with an 

annual increase of 15,000 or 

13.3%. 

In terms of unemployment, 

the seasonally adjusted 

unemployment rate declined 

further to 8.9% of the labour 


Table 1 / Employment by sector (Q3 2015) 

Sector 

Agriculture, Forestry 

& Fishing 

Q3 

2014 

Q3 

2015 

YoY 

change 

109.7 112.7 +3,000 

Industry 238.8 252.3 +13,500 

Construction 112.4 127.4 +15,000 

Wholesale & Retail Trade 275.2 273.8 -1,400 

Transportation 87.5 90.0 +2,500 

Accommodation & 

Food Services 

139.8 139.9 +100 

ICT 79.3 83.7 +4,400 

Financial Services 

& Real Estate 

103.1 99.8 -3,300 

Professional Services 116.9 122.6 +5,700 

Admin & Support Services 65.2 68.0 +2,800 

Public Administration 

& Defence 

98.1 101.3 +3,200 

Education 144.1 146.6 +2,500 

Human Health 

& Social Services 

249.5 253.4 +3,900 

Other 101.6 104.8 +3,200 

TOTAL 1926.9 1983.0 +56,100 

Figure 3 / Employment (S/A) 

Source: CSO QNHS 

force in October, which is 

the first time that the rate 

has fallen below 9% since 

December 2008. The number 

of people unemployed has 

declined by 135,700 since the 

peak in December 2011 and 

has fallen by 27,400 in the 

first 10 months of this year. 

The outlook 

The Irish economic 

performance has been 

very strong in 2015 and 

the prospects for 2016 look 

positive at this juncture. 

Based on the evidence so far 

this year, real GDP looks set 

to expand by around 6.3% in 

2015 and growth of 4.5% looks 

achievable for 2016. 

Looking ahead to 2016, 

consumer spending should 

be boosted by a further 

improvement in employment, 

a continued pick up in 

earnings and the impact of the 

tax changes in Budget 2015 

and those contained in Budget 

2016. Consumer spending 

could expand by up to 4%. 

Construction activity will 

strengthen further, with 

residential construction the 

strongest component. Business 

investment spending will 

Source: CSO 

also be stronger. The export 

performance has been very 

strong in 2015 and this should 

continue into 2016. However, 

import growth will also 

improve, thereby limiting the 

impact of net trade on growth. 

There is an obvious 

external risk factor in 2016. 

The International Monetary 

Fund recently downgraded 

its global growth outlook. It 

warned that ‘the holy grail 

of robust and synchronised 

global expansion remains 

elusive’ and that ‘downside 

risks to the world economy 

appear more pronounced than 

they did just a few months 

ago’. China is the obvious 

source of concern and its 

potential impact on global 

confidence and trade. 

The future of the UK in the 

EU is an issue that will have 

to be closely monitored in 

2016. A referendum on EU 

membership will be held in 

2016. It is still hard to say 

how such a vote would go, 

but with some concessions 

from the EU, a vote to stay in 

seems the most likely, albeit 

far from certain, outcome. EU 

exit would have considerable 

implications for Ireland. 

Domestically, ongoing 

efforts will be required to 

alleviate problems with 

private and sovereign debt, 

and the restoration of a fully 

functioning banking sector. 

It will also be important to 

ensure that wages are kept 

under control. 

It would be naïve and 

dangerous to become 

complacent about Ireland’s 

economic recovery. Over 

the past couple of years the 

economy has been given a 

major boost by four factors 

that are totally outside of 

the country’s control. Oil 

prices have fallen by over 

50%; the euro has weakened 

significantly against sterling 

and the dollar; the ECB has 

been pursuing a policy of 

historically low interest rates; 

and the strength of growth in 

the US and UK has insulated 

Ireland from the sluggish 

growth in the Euro Zone. 

While all of these factors look 

set to remain favourable in 

34 


THE ONLY 

COMPLETE 

TREATMENT FOR 

SORE THROATS *

Table 2 / Irish Economic Forecast 

(Averages) 2014 2015f 2016f 

GDP +5.2% +6.2% +4.5% 

GNP +6.9% +5.6% +4.0% 

Consumption +2.0% +3.6% +4.0% 

Investment +14.3% +14.0% +14.5% 

Exports +12.1% +13% +10% 

Imports +14.7% +12.0% +9.5% 

Inflation (HICP) +0.3% -0.2% +1.2% 

Employment +1.8% +2.8% +2.5% 

Unemployment Rate 11.3% 9.3% 8.2% 

Figure 4 / Retail sales in pharmacy sector 

2016, it is important that fiscal 

policy and all issues around 

competitiveness are managed 

as prudently as possible to 

ensure that the economy is 

as resilient as possible in the 

event of some external shock. 

The most obvious domestic 

risk factor is now political, 

with a general election due 

in the first quarter of 2016. A 

stable government would be 

the optimal outcome, but is 

also important that ‘auction 

politics’ is avoided in the 

run up to the election. The 

recovering Irish economy 

would not be helped by 

political instability. 

Trends in the 

pharmacy sector 

Sales of Medical, 

Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic 

articles in the first nine 

months of 2015 have 

improved. In volume terms, 

sales of Pharmaceutical, 

Medical & Cosmetic items 

were 3.6% ahead of the first 

nine months of 2014. The 

value growth at 0.6% was 

less impressive, but does 

represent a marked change 

in the trend of recent years. 

The gap between value and 

volume growth is still an issue, 

but at least both measures are 

now improving. The prospects 

for 2016 look positive, with 

sales likely to be driven by 

higher incomes, continued 

employment growth and 

a general improvement in 

personal disposable incomes. 

Price trends in the pharmacy 

sector continue to be subdued. 

In the year to October, the 

price of pharmaceutical 

products declined by 1.3%, 

the price of prescribed drugs 

declined by 2.8% and the price 

of other medicines declined 

by 0.8%. Clearly, competitive 

forces, regulatory changes and 

consumer price resistance are 

combining to put continued 

downward pressure on retail 

prices in the pharmacy sector. 

Source: CSO 

Figure 5 / Price trends in pharmacy sector 

Source: CSO 

36 


PHARMACY 

ACQUISITIONS 

SEMINAR 

Thursday 

25 th 

February 

2016 

Citywest Hotel, 

Dublin 

Get ready to buy or sell 

a pharmacy 

Speakers 

Stuart Fitzgerald 

Director - 

Fitzgerald Power 

Barbara Kenny 

Partner - 

William Fry 

Deirdre Lyons 

Tax & Wealth Structuring 

Specialist - Davy 

Sam Patel 

International Director - 

Day Lewis 

Maurice Fitzgerald 

Director - 

Fitzgerald Power 

Tony McEntee 

CEO – Allcare 

Anil Patil 

UK’s largest Starbucks 

franchisee 

To register your interest email seminar@fitzgeraldpower.ie 

or call 051 870152

COMMERCIAL FEATURE Dermot Ryan, Commercial Director 

LinkUp – enhancing the shopping 

experience for the customer 

A new, specialised 

Category Management 

service for independent 

community pharmacy 

Dermot Ryan, Commercial Director, Uniphar 

Retail Services talks about their new Category 

Management service, which is first in the range 

of pharmacy support services currently under 

development for LinkUp members. LinkUp is the 

new service name for Link, Uniphar’s enhanced 

buying group, and launches in the New Year. 

In developing LinkUp, 

we were very conscious 

of being able to offer 

independent community 

pharmacy the best 

value in the market not only 

on prescription meds, but 

also on Over the Counter and 

Front of Shop products. But 

we realised early on that value 

wasn’t enough. 

Understanding 

the challenges 

In carrying out research with 

pharmacies ourselves and 

looking at other national 

studies, it became clear 

that for many pharmacists, 

especially independent 

community pharmacists 

without the deep pockets 

and large marketing and 

merchandising teams of the 

big chains, the first challenge 

is to convert the patient you 

already have, who’s coming in 

regularly for their prescription, 

into a shopper as well: How 

do I get my patients to spend 

on the front of counter and 

OTC products where I can 

more readily manage my 

margin, and not just on 

their prescription? How do 

I enhance the customer’s 

experience when they come in 

store so they purchase not just 

the meds that they need but a 

whole range of other products 

that they want? 

Delivering profitability 

through effective 

category management 

Our focus has been to create 

an affordable Category 

Management service that 

evens the playing field for 

independent community 

pharmacy, providing access 

to the specialist cat man and 

merchandising expertise that 

the large multiples enjoy. 

Based on our experience 

across Allcare pharmacies, 

we knew that good Category 

Management could increase 

performance in certain 

categories by 20-40%. It varied 

from shop to shop but when 

we invested in cat man, we 

saw direct and significant 

benefits to the store’s bottom 

line within a few weeks. 

Every store is different 

Our experienced cat man 

team will work with your 

shop on an individualised 

basis to determine how best 

to capitalise on the potential 

that category management 

has in your particular store. 

We do this by helping the 

pharmacy to deal with key 

challenges that most store 

owners face: poor macro 

layout, depreciating stock, lack 

of current popular lines, low 

margin items dominating key 

sell areas, clutter and poor 

planograms. Every shop is 

different and we’ll work with 

your store’s advantages and 

disadvantages to help you 

to achieve: 

n Better customer offerings 

n Increased margins 

n Enhanced stock sell 

through 

n Improved productivity 

n Higher customer 

satisfaction

“ How do I get my 

patients to spend 

on the front of 

counter and 

OTC products 

where I can more 

readily manage 

my margin, and 

not just on their 

prescription?” 

Comprehensive step-by-step service 

Subscribing to LinkUp’s 

Category Management 

services provides a lot more 

than a set of planograms with 

which you can work. It’s a 

comprehensive step by step 

service providing you with: 

n Complete assessment of 

the pharmacy’s macro 

layout 

n One-on-one 

consultations and advice 

on floor layout from a 

customer’s perspective 

n Sales analysis to 

determine what key 

lines work in line with 

LinkUp offerings 

n Market analysis in 

tandem with the 

pharmacy’s current 

ranges 

n Sales per meter 

analysis to determine 

how to maximise each 

category’s potential and 

growth opportunities 

n Implementation of 

planograms to fit your 

store’s specs 

n Personalised visits 

after implementation 

to measure success 

and standards 

n Clear, easy to read 

planograms with full 

stock listings and 

supplier information 

n Planogram updates 

twice yearly plus 

updates for new lines 

n Tips and best practices 

to help you maintain 

the highest standard 

of merchandising 

Our merchandising team 

have unparalleled experience 

in retail and will work with 

your staff, providing on the job 

coaching which will increase 

their awareness and skills in 

terms of managing the look 

and feel of the store. 

If you are interested in what 

LinkUp category management 

service could do for your 

pharmacy, contact 01 468 

7501 for more information or 

email categorymanagement@ 

uniphar.ie

BUSINESS Ray Ryan, BMA Planning 

Pharmacy 

and planning 

In this article, Ray Ryan, 

who is a Town Planner 

and Principal of BMA 

Planning, Planning and 

Development Consultants 

article outlines the national 

planning policy context 

for consideration of 

pharmacies, particularly 

the ongoing development 

of health centres. 

Ipreviously presented 

an article in this 

publication outlining 

the national planning 

policy context for 

consideration of new 

pharmacies. 

The Guidelines for Planning 

Authorities – Retail Planning 

(2012) were issued by 

Government in April 2012. 

The Guidelines outline 

Government policy and 

must be taken into account 

by planning authorities and 

An Bord Pleanála in making 

decisions on planning 

applications. 

To recap briefly, the position 

is summarised under the 

following key points: 

1. Definition: In planning 

terms, pharmacies (or 

retail pharmacy business 

as defined in the PSI 

Memorandum (2009) 1 ) 

are categorised as retail 

development and assessed 

in the same manner as 

all other forms of retail 

development. The term 

‘retail pharmacy’ is 

referred to in the Retail 

Planning Guidelines 

but a retail pharmacy is 

classified more generally 

as a ‘shop’. As such, any 

unit with permission for 

retail use can be used as a 

pharmacy without the need 

for planning permission. 

2. Location: The preferred 

location for ‘shops’ 

(including retail 

pharmacies) is within 

designated town, district 

and local/village centre 

locations which are zoned 

/ identified in the local 

Development Plan. 

3. Scale: As with all retail 

development, the 

Guidelines suggest that 

pharmacies should be 

of a scale which reflects 

the needs of the local 

community or population 

catchment. 

4. Accessibility: Pharmacies 

should be located in 

locations which are 

accessible on foot or by 

public transport. 

5. Design: The design of 

a new development 

should seek to enhance 

streetscapes and the local 

built environment through 

good quality design and 

appropriate signage etc. 

6. Pharmacy Licensing: 

The licensing of a ‘retail 

pharmacy business’ is a 

matter for the PSI and is 

entirely separate from 

the planning process. 

Unlike the pharmacy 

licensing process, planning 

authorities will not require 

any evidence that an 

applicant has a licence to 

operate as a pharmacist 

before granting permission. 

This is because the 

planning permission relates 

to the premises rather than 

the person who applies. 

7. Competition: The 

Guidelines are clear that 

it is not the purpose of 

the planning system 

to preserve existing 

commercial interests 

or stymie competition. 

1. “Memorandum Of Advice to Superintendent Pharmacists, and other pharmacists who may contemplate becoming owners of Retail Pharmacy Businesses, from the 

Pharmaceutical Society Of Ireland on possible public health risks arising from certain commercial practices” Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI), 2009. 

40 


NEW 

Buttercup Bronchostop Cough Syrup contains thyme herb extract and marshmallow root extract. A traditional herbal medicinal product for the relief of coughs, such as chesty, dry, tickly, irritating coughs and catarrh, exclusively 

based upon long-standing use. Adults and children over 12 years: 15ml every 4 hours. Max dose 90ml per day. Not recommended for children under 12 years. Seek medical advice if symptoms persist after 7 days or if dyspnoea, 

fever or purulent sputum occurs. Contraindications: Known hypersensitivity to ingredients, rare hereditary intolerance to some sugars. Caution: Contains methyl parahydroxybenzoate and propyl parahydroxybenzoate, which 

may cause allergic reactions. Side effects: Stomach disorders. TR 2006/1/1. TR Holder: Kwizda Pharma GmbH, Effingergasse 21, A-1160 Vienna, Austria. RRP (ex.VAT) 120ml €6.99 200ml €9.99 SPC: www.medicines.ie/ 

medicine/16380/SPC/ Buttercup+Bronchostop+Cough+Syrup Buttercup Bronchostop Berry Flavour Cough Pastilles contain thyme herb extract. A traditional herbal medicinal product for the relief of coughs, such as chesty, dry, 

tickly, irritating coughs and catarrh, exclusively based upon long-standing use. Adults and children over 12 years: 1 - 2 pastilles every 4 hours. Max dose 12 pastilles per day. Not recommended for children under 12 years. Seek 

medical advice if symptoms persist after 7 days or if dyspnoea, fever or purulent sputum occurs. Contraindications: Known hypersensitivity to ingredients, rare hereditary intolerance to some sugars. Caution: Contains 0.6 g fructose 

per 2 pastille dose – to be taken into consideration in those with diabetes mellitus. Side effects: Stomach disorders. TR 2006/1/2. TR Holder: Kwizda Pharma GmbH, Effingergasse 21, A-1160 Vienna, Austria. RRP (ex. VAT) 10s €3.99 

20s €5.99 SPC: www.medicines.ie/medicine/16381/SPC/ Buttercup+Bronchostop+Berry+Flavour+Cough+Pastilles/

Therefore, while trade 

diversion from the town 

centre in the general 

sense is a legitimate 

planning matter to be 

considered, the impact of 

a new development on the 

viability of an individual 

retail pharmacy business is 

not a planning matter. 

The IPU (in conjunction 

with BMA Planning) made 

submissions to the review 

outlining issues arising 

from the various changes 

in regulation of retail 

pharmacy businesses since 

the Pharmacy 2007 Act. In 

particular, the planning 

considerations associated 

were considered particularly 

in the context of the trend 

towards large Primary Care 

Centres or Health Centres. 

A number of recent 

planning applications have 

provided an insight into how 

policy is feeding through to 

decisions on the ground. 

An interesting case study 

is found in the proposal to 

include a pharmacy as part of 

a large Primary Care Centre 

building at Headfort, Kells, Co 

Meath (Meath County Council 

Reg. Ref: KA150021; Bord Ref: 

PL17.244702). 

In that instance, the 

original building was granted 

by Meath County Council 

without a pharmacy. The 

application in 2015 was made 

while the building was being 

completed and the pharmacy 

was to occupy a part of the 

building which had been 

proposed as a ‘Diagnostics’ 

area. 

A number of objections 

to the planning application, 

including from local 

pharmacy businesses, cited 

the policy outlined in the 

Retail Planning Guidelines 

and in the Meath County 

Development Plan. 

Meath County Council 

decided to refuse permission 

for the pharmacy citing 

the scale of the proposed 

pharmacy, its location at 

an edge of town site and its 

impact to the vitality of Kells 

Town Centre. 

On appeal to An Bord 

Pleanála, the Planning 

Inspector considered 

the opposing positions 

outlined by the applicant 

and those opposed to the 

application. Interestingly, 

in the assessment there 

was consideration which 

gives an insight into the 

issue in terms of: 

(i) the principle of 

pharmacy with 

Primary Care Centre 

(ii) the scale pharmacy 

use ancillary to a 

Primary Care Centre 

In terms of the principle, the 

Inspector saw merit in the case 

made regarding the land use 

synergy between pharmacy 

and ‘a building permitted 

to house under one roof a 

range of collocated medical 

facilities including doctors 

surgery, nurse consulting 

rooms, physiotherapy, 

psychological treatment 

rooms, group therapy areas, 

dental surgery and associated 

health care uses’. She noted 

the convenience it would offer 

to patients of this primary care 

centre. 

However, the Inspector also 

noted concern regarding the 

scale of the pharmacy unit 

stating that “the pharmacy 

is of such a scale it has the 

potential to accommodate a 

substantive range of products 

over and above medicinal 

and prescribed medicines”. 

On this basis, the Inspector 

stated that in the context of 

the Development Plan policies 

and the high level of vacancy 

in the Town Centre, the Meath 

County Council position to 

refuse should be upheld. 

At the final hurdle, the 

Board of An Bord Pleanála 

went against their Inspector’s 

recommendation and 

granted the pharmacy as 

‘a complementary and 

ancillary use’. Unfortunately, 

the reasons for the Board’s 

Decision to Grant are 

perfunctory so it remains to 

be seen how this will transfer 

to other situations around 

the country. 

In simple terms, it would 

seem that pharmacies will 

continue to be allowed within 

Primary Care Centres on 

case-by-case basis. However, 

there are signs of a planning 

discussion beginning, which 

begins to question the scale of 

pharmacies and the product 

range extending beyond 

their ‘primary’ function, 

i.e. dispensing of medicinal 

products. 

Watch this space. 

Ray Ryan is a Town Planner and 

Principal of BMA PLANNING, 

Planning and Development 

Consultants, 128 Lower 

Baggot Street, Dublin 2. 

www.bmaplanning.ie 

“ In particular, the planning considerations 

associated were considered particularly 

in the context of the trend towards large 

Primary Care Centre or Health Centres.” 

42 


14 YEARS 

since first authorisation 1 

CHOOSE 

THE 

>66 MILLION 

patient-years experience 2 >55,000 

participants in clinical studies 2 

YOU 

KNOW 

OVER 10 YEARS OF ESTABLISHED 

EFFICACY & SAFETY PROFILES 1,3–10

BUSINESS Darren Kelly, IPU Business Development Manager 

Planning for 

the year ahead 

In this article, Darren Kelly, IPU Business Development 

Manager looks at what we need to focus on to ensure 

that the health of our businesses stays in peak condition. 

Every year we 

approach the New 

Year with some 

trepidation. What 

will the New Year 

hold? In the pharmacy sector, 

we have experienced some 

ups and downs over the last 

number of years but, with the 

apparent rise in consumer 

sentiment and expected 

growth in the country, we have 

to remain optimistic about 

what 2016 will hold for our 

businesses. 

We have all heard about 

having business plans 

when we need to approach 

a financial institution for 

financial support to help the 

business or are thinking of 

opening a business. But do we 

have a plan for the business 

on an ongoing basis or do 

we believe that we will keep 

plodding along the same way 

that we have been for the 

last number of years? The 

retail element of pharmacy is 

growing year-on-year and, in 

order to capitalise on this, we 

need to ensure that we have 

the staff, the premises and the 

plan to succeed. 

Many independent 

pharmacy owners ask me 

how they can be as proactive 

with their plans as some of 

the bigger chains appear to 

be. I always refer back to 

planning. The larger chains 

have departments that look 

after these areas for them and 

even the symbol groups are 

trying to bring this cohesion 

into the market but you can 

be as proactive as you wish to 

be with some clever planning 

and delegation with your own 

teams. 

Promotional planning 

This sounds like a grand idea 

but it is really just a simple 

structure to help you and your 

team know where you want to 

market the business this year. 

Simply, set up a diary: 

n Highlight the main 

holiday events and 

health awareness events, 

taking into account any 

local or regional events 

that may be happening. 

n When you are buying in 

stock of special offers, 

look at the different 

types of offers you want 

to have and break it 

down into mens, ladies, 

children or bath, shower, 

hair. Once you break it 

down, you pick the best 

offer that is available 

for which category and 

order accordingly. 

n Agree a promotion 

cycle timeframe with 

the team. Plan out 

promotions to ensure 

that you can avail of the 

best value. By having 

a specified promotion 

cycle, customers will be 

waiting to see what are 

the next ‘unbelievable 

offers’ available in 

their local pharmacy. 

Remember, most ‘2 

for €3’ or ‘2 for €5’ are 

available in the grocery 

multiples, so having 

these will give your 

customers the message 

that they can get just 

as good value in their 

local pharmacy. 

n Identify where in the 

pharmacy you will 

promote, i.e. window 

displays, gondolas, 

hot spots etc. 

n Draw out the areas 

of the pharmacy and 

plan the promotion 

on paper before any 

stock is ordered or 

merchandised; this takes 

away any confusion with 

regard to ordering or 

dealing with reps. When 

you have this in place, 

all staff should be 

singing from the one 

hymn sheet. 

I am always asked what 

the best special offers to 

have are. My reply is “the 

ones that sell”. It sounds 

simple, but how many times 

do you see products mixed 

together because they are 

both banded packs, so that 

is all the customer needs to 

see. Customers like to see a 

pattern to the display. The 

customer’s concentration will 

only hold for so long, so, if 

there are 10 promotions all 

squeezed together and no real 

clear message, the customer 

will walk away. 

Staff planning 

Everyone plans out the staff 

rosters to ensure that you 

have the correct cover for 

the week but how many 

plan to ensure that their 

pharmacy staff are up-to-date 

on the latest trends in retail 

pharmacy? Annual reviews 

should be part of this plan to 

meet with staff and identify 

what the individual staff 

member requires to ensure 

that they are taking your 

business where you want it 

to go. Encourage the staff to 

want to learn more. 

Do you know where to look 

for training if a staff member 

shows interest in progressing 

in your business? At the IPU 

we provide a range of business 

training courses from category 

planning, merchandising, 

retail sales, social media, 

security and PCRS claims 

handling, to name but a 

few. Most are delivered in 

classroom situations but we 

are looking to develop more 

online training programmes so 

that staff do not have to leave 

the pharmacy, so keep an eye 

out for these developments. 

44 


N 

I 

Two trusted names in pharmacy now 

come from Bayer Consumer Care 

– the trusted name in healthcare 

S 

O 

O 

T 

H 

I 

N 

G 

• 

• 

G 

C 

A 

T 

C 

YEARS 

L M 

E 

T 

O 

R 

• 

P 

G 

N 

I 

® 

For further information please contact: 

South Leinster: Tom Smith, 086 816 3043 

North Leinster: Kathleen Duffy, 086 049 3053 

South: Fiona Taylor, 086 853 8380 

West: Michael Clarke, 086 816 2559 

Further information available from the Marketing Authorisation Holder: Bayer Ltd., The Atrium, Blackthorn Road, Dublin 18. www.bayer.ie 

L.IE.MKT.CC.06.2015.0404 

Always read the label

Communication planning 

How many plan for regular 

staff meetings throughout 

the year or are they just ad 

hoc, normally when there 

might be an issue? Regular 

communication with staff 

empowers them to feel 

they can approach you, the 

owner, if maybe a product 

is not selling or they have 

an idea that might work to 

try and sell an item. When I 

am reviewing pharmacies, I 

encourage the staff members 

to think about what they 

would do and how they 

would do it. There are many 

good ideas just waiting to be 

tapped into and maybe one 

of them is in your pharmacy. 

Encourage these ideas and 

develop them by talking them 

through. If you agree to go 

with an idea, follow through 

with it, take a hands-on role 

in it and implement it. If it is 

successful, reward staff. These 

are the true elements of a 

successful manager. 

Customer service 

Draw up a plan of action 

for your pharmacy for a 

consistent message from 

entering the pharmacy until 

leaving the pharmacy. With 

all areas of the business being 

examined for cuts, staffing 

is always an area looked at. 

If you have had to reduce 

your staff numbers, service 

levels may have dropped. 

Make a plan to speak to 

all your customers, within 

reason, who enter your 

pharmacy. I am sure that 

you are giving that personal 

touch to your customers but 

their perception of you and 

of your staff and premises 

will lead them to tell other 

people of the service that you 

provide. Don’t be afraid of 

coming out from behind the 

dispensary and dealing with 

your customers. If your staff 

see you leading the way, they 

will follow suit and there will 

be a consistency of service 

throughout the pharmacy. 

Pharmacy layout 

The vast number of customers 

now expect to get a retail 

experience when they enter 

a pharmacy. Take a look at 

the layout of your pharmacy 

and think like a customer. 

Are products easily seen 

and found? Is there clutter 

around the pharmacy? Is it 

a pleasant experience to be 

in my pharmacy? These are 

the questions you need to 

ask. If you can see that there 

are issues in the pharmacy, 

then you can be proactive 

and deal with them. There are 

options available with regard 

to category management or 

business reviews but you need 

to have a clear picture in your 

head as to where you want the 

business to go. 

Stand at the front of the 

pharmacy and look in. See 

what your customers see. Look 

at the layout of the pharmacy 

and see if there is a natural 

flow to the product layout. If 

it looks untidy, cluttered or 

the flow is all wrong then you 

know your customers feel the 

same. Try to create a flow in 

our pharmacy that creates 

different experiences for your 

customers. 

Marketing your 

pharmacy 

Marketing your pharmacy is 

the sure-fire way to get extra 

customers in. But how do I 

do it? Effective signage inside 

and outside your pharmacy 

is a must. Remember not to 

go for overkill but to highlight 

the value and service that 

you provide. 

Ensure that any signage that 

goes on your pharmacy door 

or window is relevant and is 

highlighting something about 

your business. Don’t overload 

window displays that lead 

a customer to think, “is this 

a pharmacy or an electrics 

shop”? Draw up a timeline 

plan for your window displays. 

Don’t just give the space 

away; look at what message 

you want to portray to your 

customers and those passing 

customers, to entice them to 

come into your pharmacy. 

Inside the pharmacy the use 

of signage is a must. Again, 

I have seen overkill on this 

which just confuses customers 

and ultimately leads to 

no sale. Signage should be 

clear, concise and placed at 

the correct products. Using 

A4 signs with paper folding 

over stuck up with sellotape 

just makes your pharmacy 

look unprofessional. There 

are a number of solutions 

available to help you provide 

a professional look to your 

signage. Remember, customers 

expect a retail experience. 

To move with change we 

need to have a plan in our 

business for all aspects of the 

business. To many, this seems 

like hard work but by putting 

the work into a complete 

business plan you and your 

team can reap the benefits. 

Put a plan in place, work 

through it, get involved with 

the staff on the plan and lead 

your business to where you 

want it to be. 

If you would like advice with 

your retail offering, contact 

Darren in Butterfield House on 

01 493 6401 / 086 028 9825 / 

Darren.kelly@ipu.ie. 

GET THE RETAIL 

FACTOR IN YOUR 

PHARMACY. 

For further information on the IPU Retail Review service, please contact 

Darren Kelly on (01) 493 6401 / 086 028 9825 or email: Darren.kelly@ipu.ie 

IPU Retail Banners 190X45 NEW ART.indd 4 20/10/2015 21:54 

46 


NEW SOOLANTRA ® 

TOUGH ON 

ROSACEA 

KIND TO SKIN 

A ONCE-DAILY TOPICAL THAT TREATS INFLAMMATORY 

LESIONS OF ROSACEA IN ADULTS 

• More effective than metronidazole cream (0.75%) 1 

• Significant improvements as early as week 2 2 

• A generally well tolerated topical for 

everyday use 3 

REFERENCES 

1. Taieb A et al., Br J Dermatol 2015;172:1103–10. 

2. SOOLANTRA Summary of Product Characteristics. March 2015. 

3. Stein Gold, L et al J Drugs Dermatol 2014;13(11):1380-86. 

SOOLANTRA ® 10mg/g Cream Prescribing Information (UK & IRE) 

Presentation: 10mg/g ivermectin cream Indications: Topical treatment of inflammatory lesions of 

rosacea (papulopustular) in adult patients. Dosage and Administration: One application per day for up 

to 4 months. The treatment course may be repeated. Treatment should be discontinued after 3 months if 

no improvement. Apply a pea sized amount to each of the 5 areas of the face: forehead, chin, nose, each 

cheek. Cutaneous use only. Apply only to the face; avoiding the eyes, lips and mucosa. Hands should be 

washed immediately after application. There is no data on use in patients under 18 years. Cosmetics 

may be applied after the medicinal product has dried. Contraindications: Hypersensitivity to the active 

substance or any excipients. Precautions and Warnings: Soolantra has not been studied in patients with 

renal or hepatic impairment. Caution should be exercised in patients with severe hepatic impairment. 

Contains cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol which may cause local skin reactions (e.g. contact dermatitis), 

Methyl parahydroxybenzoate (E218) and propyl parahydroxybenzoate (E216) which may cause allergic 

reactions (possibly delayed) and propylene glycol which may cause skin irritation. Interactions: No 

interaction studies have been performed. Concomitant use of Soolantra with other topical or systemic 

medicinal products for the treatment of rosacea has not been investigated. In vitro studies have shown 

that ivermectin is primarily metabolised by CYP3A4. Consequently, caution is advised when ivermectin is 

administered concomitantly with potent CYP3A4 inhibitors as the plasma exposure may be significantly 

increased. Pregnancy and Lactation: Soolantra is not recommended during pregnancy. A risk to a 

suckling child cannot be excluded; a decision must be made whether to discontinue breast-feeding or 

to discontinue/abstain from Soolantra therapy taking into account the benefit of breast-feeding for the 

child and the benefit of therapy for the woman. Undesirable Effects: In clinical trials the most common 

adverse reactions were typically mild to moderate in severity, and usually decreased when treatment was 

continued. Adverse reactions include: Common (≥1/100 to

BUSINESS Elmer Kerr, Director of Sales & Marketing, PMM 

FIVE great 

reasons why the 

local pharmacy 

needs to be online 

Digital Marketing and Social 

Media is now at the forefront 

of marketing campaigns. 

Whilst we advocate that you 

continue to use traditional 

advertising channels, it 

is imperative that every 

pharmacy integrates their 

advertising with a consistent 

and continuous online 

presence to communicate 

with existing customers and 

new potential shoppers. Here, 

Elmer Kerr, Director of Sales & 

Marketing, PMM Group, gives 

the ‘Famous Five’ great reasons 

why you need to continue 

reading this article: 

Reason 1 

The online reach 

Your pharmacy can 

reach existing and new 

markets quickly and more 

economically than the 

traditional channels of local 

newspaper, magazines, 

bulletins and local radio. Did 

you know that 3.7 million Irish 

people now use the internet? 

This is almost everyone if you 

discount toddlers and they 

are the new future surfers. 

From this figure, 1.9 million 

access the internet via their 

on-the-go mobile devices such 

as phone, tablet or iPad; this 

means you can potentially 

reach customers as they are 

travelling or commuting, in 

a café, a shop, bus or train 

station, in the car, or dare 

we say, as they are about 

to purchase a product in 

another pharmacy. Local 

communities now spend vast 

leisure time on Social Media 

sites such as Facebook, Twitter, 

LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram 

and Snap-Chat. This is 

where pharmacies need to 

communicate information 

and offers in today’s world 

of ‘shopping’ and accessing 

‘health information’ to lead a 

great ‘healthy lifestyle’. 

Reason 2 

Building a 

reputation 

Virtually all shops, retail 

outlets and traders are now 

expected to have an online 

presence, so says the general 

public, young and old. Studies 

tell us that consumers expect 

businesses to be online in 

some shape or form, and 

particularly in supporting the 

‘accessing of information’ 

before purchasing. It would 

appear that circa 48% of Irish 

Retailers or Traders know 

this and thus can be found 

on at least one Social Media 

platform. Hence the question, 

are you in the remaining 52% 

of local retail that lags behind? 

For starters, become active 

on Facebook with a business 

account. Why? At least 60% of 

Irish people are on Facebook, 

now that is one great reason. 

If operated correctly, Facebook 

can create excellent brand 

awareness. It can make local 

communities aware of your 

‘Weekly Offers’, the key 

services you provide through 

your Consultation Room, the 

Brands that you stock and all 

the key information to lead a 

very ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ – and 

we all aspire to living longer. By 

being active on Social Media, 

you can build your online 

community – and integrating 

‘in-shop services’. It provides 

an excellent opportunity to 

promote everything about you 

and your pharmacy and that 

only relates to one platform. 

48 


LID SCRUB ® Range of Eyelid Cleansers 

AN ADVANCED SOLUTION FOR THE SYMPTOMS OF BLEPHARITIS 

Ocusoft® Lid Scrubs provide an evidence based treatment for Blepharitis 1 

is proven to kill Demodex mite with its patented leave-on formula 2 

Multiple presentations and formulations to suit all needs 

1 

Jackson, M.D., Mitchelll. Endophthalmitis Prophylaxis; OCuSOFT® Lid Scrub TM PLUS vs. Topical Betadine. European Society of Cataract 

and Refractive Surgeons, 2009 September. 

2 

Yee, M.D., Richard Efficacy of OCuSOFT® Lid Scrub TM PLUS on eradication of Ocular Demodex. 2008, July. 

DELIVERING INNOVATION 

freephone: 1800 816 005 

email: info@scopehealthcare.ie 

visit: www.scopeophthalmics.ie 

SCOPEIE0034

Reason 3 

Targeting 

customers 

Recently, PMM delivered 

Digital Marketing & Social 

Media seminars on behalf of 

the IPU to pharmacists and 

pharmacy staff in Dublin, 

Cork and Galway. We can 

honestly say that the number 

one topic that staggered every 

participant on the courses 

was the ability to specifically 

target customers in your 

designated selling territory. 

Yes, if you want to target 

shoppers, for example, female, 

aged between 28-36 years, 

married, 2+ children aged 

under 10, working, own a car, 

go on one annual holiday to 

Spain, fly with Aer Lingus, 

love the Maybelline brand, 

regularly buy L’Oreal hair 

colour products, own a Ford 

Focus, have a pet dog, ran in 

women’s marathons for the 

past three years and, lastly, 

they reside within 10K of your 

pharmacy………Hmmm, it’s 

all in a day’s work. It is so easy, 

so simple and all the key tools 

are available to you online. 

Reason 4 

Researching online 

Did you know that the 

majority of shoppers or 

buyers, including your 

customers (they say as high 

as 85% of shoppers), research 

products and services online 

before making a purchase 

these days? So, not being 

online means not being 

available, meaning nonexistent 

to a huge number of 

your local community. 

The internet also provides 

us with an opportunity 

to research competitors. 

Tools like Semrush.com 

and Moz.com provide 

insights into competitors 

advertising campaigns, 

their website ranking and 

performance. Now, are we 

starting to interest you? 

Most importantly, websites 

offer extensive analytics 

through Google that identify 

your visitors’ behaviours, 

attitudes, demographics, 

geographic location, interests 

and so much more. These 

insights are not possible 

through traditional marketing 

and help identify the right 

communication strategies and 

it assists you in measuring 

your marketing activity. Was 

it interesting? Did it attract 

many? As well as letting you 

know your campaign or offer 

was attractive, it also tells you 

if it wasn’t particularly good. 

Reason 5 

Generating 

revenue 

Firstly, advertising and 

marketing online is so much 

cheaper than traditional 

channels so there can be 

great savings. A website for a 

pharmacy is very inexpensive 

to run and it can display your 

special offers to customers. 

Purchasing can be through 

an e-Commerce function or 

the very successful ‘Click & 

Collect’ strategy, this way it 

protects your weekly footfall 

with customers coming in to 

collect their choice. Facebook 

can also be used in a similar 

way. Images of brands and 

products posted to Pinterest 

and Instagram ensure that you 

get noticed online. Research 

has indicated a continual 

rise in online purchases. 

Pharmacies need to stay in 

touch with the market trends 

by using online marketing and 

selling strategies. 

What next? 

Well, approximately 85% of 

shoppers are now online. That 

pretty much tells you that 

around 85% of your existing 

customers are also online 

and that means active. So, 

to effectively communicate 

with them, this would suggest 

that you too need to be 

amongst them online. Firstly, 

we suggest that you become 

armed with key information, 

get simple easy to understand 

information that allows you 

to build an online plan and 

secondly, contact Darren Kelly, 

IPU Business Development 

Manager at Darren.Kelly@ 

IPU.ie / 01 4936401 to find 

out details of the 2016 IPU 

Training Syllabus starting 

February 2016. 

Elmer Kerr is Director of Sales & 

Marketing PMM Group, Ireland’s 

leading Retail Specialist and the 

official Training Partner of the 

IPU. Visit PMM on www.PMM.ie 

or connect with Elmer on www. 

LinkedIn.com/in/elmerkerr to 

receive his articles on “Retailing 

in Ireland”. 

“ Local communities now spend vast 

leisure time on Social Media sites. 

This is where pharmacies need 

to communicate information 

and offers.” 

50 


30, rue Saint-Augustin 

75002 PARIS (France) 

tél. : +33 (0)1 42 66 46 09 

fax : +33 (0)1 42 66 45 90 

www.byagencydesign.com 

DOCUMENT D’EXÉCUTION / ARTWORK FILE : 

HRA Pharma Women Health Circle Quadri Com 

CLIENT : HRA Pharma 

FICHIER / FILE : 

HRA Pharma Women Health Circle Quadri Com.eps 

LOGICIEL / SOFTWARE : 

Illustrator CS6 

DIMENSIONS / SUPPLIER : 

ÉCHELLE / SCALE : 100 % 

PLAN / CUTTING LINES : 

IMPRESSION / PRINTING PROCESS : 

OFFSET 

SUPPORT / PRINTING MEDIUM : 

WHITE CARDBOARD 

POLICES / FONTS : 

GILL SANS 

DOCUMENT TECHNIQUE RÉALISÉ EN COULEURS 

ARTWORK REALISED IN 4 PROCESS CLRS : 

BRAILLE : 

DOCUMENT D’EXÉCUTION 

Ce document nécessite l’aperçu de la 

surimpression pour sa visualisation complète et 

WARNING 

l’impression de la surimpression pour effectuer 

une sortie correcte. La réalisation technique tels 

que la surimpression des encres, les grossi-maigri, les 

recouvrements, restent à l’entière charge de l’imprimeur. 

La taille et les positionnements des Gencods sont à valider 

par le fabricant. Un BàT imprimeur doit être soumis au 

client avant l’impression définitive. 

ARTWORK FILE 

Please make sure to check the artwork with the Overprint 

Preview is on. 

Trapping, overprint colours, 

colour adjustments, must be processed in photoengraving. 

Barcods must be checked by the Printer. 

A Printer Approval is required before the final printing. 

NEW Now available without prescription 

But emergency contraception has. 

ellaOne ® , the most effective emergency contraceptive pill. 1 Order your stock today. 

exécution 

ÉTAPE / STEP : 01 DATE : 13 / 03 / 14 

C 86, M 100, J 30 

C40, M30, J30, N0 C 68, M 72, J 0, N 0 

GillSans Bold 

artwork 

Quadri 

L’ÉPREUVE COULEUR LASER N’EST QU’UNE APPROXIMATION DES COULEURS RÉELLES DU DOCUMENT. 

POUR UNE CIBLE COULEUR EXACTE, EFFECTUER UN APPROVAL DIGITAL CERTIFIÉ FOGRA39. 

THERMAL PRINTOUTS PROVIDE A REPRESENTATION OF COLOUR VALUES ONLY. 

FOR ACCURATE COLOUR REFERENCE, PLEASE USE A CERTIFIED FOGRA39 APPROVAL. 

effective when it matters most 

Further information available from: HRA Pharma, Haines House, 21 John Street, Bloomsbury, WC1N 2BF, London. 

Freephone: 1800 812 984. Email: med.info.ie@hra-pharma.com 

Adverse events should be reported to HRA-Pharma UK & Ireland Ltd on Freephone: 1800 812 984 or email: med.info.ie@hra-pharma.com 

1. Glasier AF et al. Lancet 2010; 375: 555-62. 

IE/ELLA/0315/0008 

Date of preparation: March 2015

BUSINESS Aisling Daly, Director, Tonic Consultancy 

Prevention is 

better than cure – 

is your pharmacy 

secure this 

Christmas? 

In this article, Aisling 

Daly, Director at Tonic 

Consultancy Ltd, gives 

advice on securing 

your pharmacy over 

the Christmas and 

New Year periods. 

Increased gift stock and cash levels 

over the peak shopping season can 

make pharmacies an attractive 

target for serious crimes such as 

burglary and robbery. However, it 

is not just about protecting your stock 

and cash. Insurance policies will cover 

major thefts of stock and cash, but major 

crime can have lasting adverse effects on 

staff members. Ensuring you are taking 

security seriously to protect staff and 

assets should be a priority, especially in 

the run-up to the Christmas period. 

The crime prevention checklist should 

be utilised all year round, but there is no 

time like the present to ensure that you 

are minimising the risk of serious crime 

in your pharmacy. 


Multiple electrolytes, 

please see API below 

98.8% share 

in the oral 

rehydration 

category in 2013 1 

SHELF UNIT 

AVAILABLE NOW 

5 x Blackcurrant 

5 x Citrus 

5 x Natural 

Shelf unit sales grew by 88.5% 1 

Dioralyte Blackcurrant 6 packs grew by 77.6% 1 

NOW AVAILABLE IN A HANDY SIX PACK, STOCK UP TODAY! 

PLACE AN ORDER WITH YOUR SANOFI REPRESENTATIVE. 

Padhraic Speight - Tel: 086 0456 817 

Colm Moran - Tel: 086 0470 989 

Laurence O’Carroll - Tel: 086 0456 816 

Munster 

Midlands, North West 

East Coast 

ABBREVIATED PRESCRIBING INFORMATION 

DIORALYTE NATURAL, BLACKCURRANT AND CITRUS, POWDER FOR ORAL SOLUTION 

Presentation: Sachet containing the active ingredients Sodium Chloride 0.47g, Potassium Chloride 0.30g, Glucose 3.56g and Disodium Hydrogen Citrate 0.53g. Indications: Oral correction of fl uid and electrolyte loss 

and the management of watery diarrhoea in infants, children and adults. Dosage and Administration: Each sachet should be reconstituted in 200ml (approximately 7 fl uid ounces) of fresh drinking water. For infants 

where fresh drinking water is unavailable the water should be freshly boiled and cooled. The solution should be made up immediately before use. If refrigerated, the solution may be stored for up to 24 hours, otherwise 

any solution remaining an hour after reconstitution should be discarded. The solution must not be boiled after reconstitution. Daily intake may be based on a volume of 150ml/kg body weight for infants and 20-40 

mg/kg body weight for adults and children. A reasonable approximation is: Infants – One to one and a half times the usual feed volume. For infants under 12 months, use only under medical advice. Children – One 

sachet after every loose motion. Adults (including elderly) – One or two sachets after every loose motion. More may be required initially to ensure early and full volume repletion. Contraindications: None known. 

Warnings and Precautions: The solution must not be reconstituted except with water at the volume stated. Solutions of greater concentration may result in hypernatraemia. Those of greater dilution may result in 

inadequate replacement. If there is no improvement within 24-36 hours, consult the physician. If nausea and vomiting are present with the diarrhoea, small but frequent amounts of dioralyte should be drunk at fi rst. 

No specifi c precautions are necessary in the elderly. However, caution is required in cases of severe renal or hepatic impairment or other conditions where the normal electrolyte balance may be disturbed. Pregnancy 

and Lactation: Dioralyte is not contra-indicated in pregnancy or lactation. Interactions and Adverse Effects: None stated. Overdose: In the event of signifi cant overdose, serum electrolytes should be evaluated as 

soon as possible, correct any abnormalities and monitor levels until return to normal, especially in the very young and in cases of severe hepatic or renal failure. Precautions for Storage: Do not 

store above 25°C. The reconstituted solution should be used immediately but may be stored for up to 24 hours in a refrigerator at 2-8°C. Marketing Authorisation Holder: Sanofi Ireland Ltd., 

Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24. Marketing Authorisation No. PA 540/98/1 (Blackcurrant), PA 540/98/2 (Citrus), PA 540/99/1 (Natural) Legal Category: P Further information: Available 

from Sanofi Ireland Ltd., Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24 or contact IEmedinfo@sanofi .com. Please refer to Summary of Product Characteristics which can be found on IPHA at http://www. 

medicines.ie/ before prescribing. Information about adverse events reporting can be found at www.imb.ie. Adverse events should be reported to the Sanofi Drug Safety Department. 

Date of Preparation: August 2012 

References: 1. IMS Health OTC Overview, December 2013, Data on fi le IE.OTC.14.02.03 

Date of preparation: March 2014 IE.OTC.14.02.01 (1)

Crime prevention checklist 

So, how do you protect your 

pharmacy? Listed below are 

some basic key areas and 

practical actions which are a 

must to ensure your security 

measures are adequate in the 

run-up to Christmas. Ensure 

that all of your staff are aware, 

understand and adhere to 

your security procedures. 

Staff 

n Ensure staff understand 

the importance of 

confidentiality, e.g. 

discussion of cash takings, 

key holders etc. with 

external parties or within 

external environment. It is 

very easy for information to 

be passed on or overheard 

accidently. 

n Ensure that staff are 

aware that they are not to 

respond to alarm callouts 

from anyone other than 

your alarm company or 

the Gardaí. If called out by 

alarm company/Gardaí, you 

must verify it is in fact the 

alarm company/Gardaí by 

calling back on your own 

stored number for them to 

verify. 

n Ensure that key-holders are 

adequately trained on how 

to safely open and close the 

pharmacy and also how to 

safely respond to an alarm 

callout. Ensure that staff 

park their cars in well-lit 

and well-travelled areas 

and, where possible, open 

and leave the pharmacy 

together. 

n All key-holders must hold 

an up-to-date emergency 

contact list on their phone. 

This should include the 

phone numbers for your 

alarm company, local Garda 

station, other key-holders 

numbers, emergency 

maintenance helpline 

number etc. 

n Ensure that staff are 

adequately trained 

on operating security 

equipment such as alarm 

systems, CCTV and panic 

buttons. This should 

include a duress code 

for your alarm panel, to 

be used in emergency 

situations when opening 

and closing the pharmacy. 

n Brief colleagues in relation 

to being extra vigilant 

around people loitering 

around your pharmacy, 

particularly at opening and 

closing times and also the 

importance of reporting any 

suspicious behaviour to the 

Gardaí immediately. 

n Ensure that key-holders’ 

personal details, such 

as phone numbers and 

work schedules, are not 

displayed on walls within 

the pharmacy, even in back 

areas. 

n Conduct an audit of keys 

and ensure that persons 

who have left employment 

are not in possession 

of keys or alarm codes. 

Your alarm maintenance 

company can aid in 

removing users no longer in 

employment. 

Cash 

n Ensure that arrangements 

are made to lodge takings 

regularly in the run-up 

to Christmas and ensure 

that the least amount of 

cash possible is held in 

the pharmacy over the 

Christmas period. 

n Ensure that staff 

performing lodgements do 

so safely, within insurance 

limits and that money 

is not held by persons 

overnight. Lodgements 

must go directly to the 

bank to minimise risks to 

staff. 

n Ensure that staff 

performing lodgements 

vary routes and times, 

where possible, to ensure 

that a pattern cannot 

be taken advantage of. 

Ensure that lodgements are 

adequately concealed prior 

to leaving the back areas of 

the pharmacy. 

n The movement and 

counting of cash within 

the pharmacy should be 

completed in areas out of 

public view or outside of 

trading hours. 

n Ensure that suitable 

arrangements are made for 

holding cash-safe keys over 

the Christmas and, where 

possible, that they are held 

separately from pharmacy 

access keys, especially if 

there are lodgement monies 

still in the pharmacy. 

n Ensure that tills are secure, 

till keys are not left in 

drawers and excessive 

amounts of money are 

transferred to the safe 

regularly. 

Premises 

n Ensure that all alarm 

and CCTV systems are 

working adequately. Ensure 

that maintenance visits 

are completed by your 

provider and that tests are 

conducted on panic buttons 

to ensure that they are 

functioning correctly. 

n Where possible, ensure 

that your alarm is linked 

to lights in the pharmacy. 

If your alarm is activated, 

the lights will increase the 

perceived risk to offenders 

encouraging them to leave 

quickly. 

n Ensure that your alarm 

monitoring company has 

an up-to-date key-holder 

list for the pharmacy. Take 

into account if people are 

travelling for Christmas. 

n Ensure that alarm codes 

are not written on alarm 

panels (it happens). 

n Ensure that all heaters and 

non-essential electrical 

equipment is switched 

off prior to leaving the 

premises on Christmas Eve/ 

New Year’s Eve. 

n Ensure that hanging show 

materials and decorations 

are not blocking motion 

sensors or CCTV cameras. 

Also, ensure that they are 

secure to prevent false 

alarm activations over the 

holiday period. 

n Ensure that staff closing 

the pharmacy conduct 

a walk-through prior to 

leaving to ensure that all 

areas (windows/skylights 

etc.) are secure. 

Finally, communication 

within the pharmacy 

regarding suspicious activity 

is essential during this busy 

period, especially as staff 

and management may not 

see each other regularly due 

to extended opening hours. 

Encourage staff to report 

any suspicious activity to a 

member of management, 

no matter how insignificant 

they think it may be. It is also 

important that management 

do not explain away or dismiss 

suspicious activity. 

If you are concerned about 

any suspicious activity, always 

contact your local Gardaí. 

Organised gangs often do 

‘homework’ prior to a robbery 

or burglary and prevention is 

better than cure. 

Let’s have a safe Christmas 

in our Pharmacies. 

Aisling Daly (MSc in Security and 

Risk Management) is a Director 

at Tonic Consultancy Ltd. She is 

highly experienced in security, 

risk and profit protection with a 

proven track record in obtaining 

industry leading results. For 

further information, contact 

Aisling at 087 938 6294 / 

www.tonic-consultancy.com. 

FANCY A MERCHANDISING 

PLAN TAILOR-MADE FOR 

YOUR PHARMACY? 



54IPU 

Retail Banners 190X45 NEW ART.indd 1 IPUREVIEW DECEMBER 2015-JANUARY 20/10/2015 21:54 2016

Over 30 years of 

breastmilk research and 

pioneers of significant 

infant formula innovations 

Aptamil Profutura – 

a NEW ADDITION to the 

Aptamil family 

closer to breastmilk in both 

composition and structure 1-5 

enhanced fat absorption and 

digestion 6-7 

NEW 

Whichever Aptamil First Infant Milk 

a mother chooses: 

OR 

Aptamil First Infant Milks – closer 

to breastmilk than any other infant 

formula brands 8-9 

For healthcare professional use only 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Breastfeeding is best for babies as it is perfectly suited to 

nourish infants and protect them from illnesses such as ear infections, stomach 

upsets, diabetes, eczema and obesity. Infant formula is suitable from birth when 

babies are not breastfed. It is recommended that all formula milks be used on the 

advice of a doctor, midwife, public health nurse, dietitian, pharmacist or other 

professional responsible for maternal and child care. 

References: 1. Harzer G et al., Am J Clin Nutr. 1983;37(4):612-21. 2. Willatts P et al., Lancet, 1998. 352(9129):688-91. 

3. Willatts P et al., Am J Clin Nutr. 2013:98(2):536S-42S. 4. Brenna JT et al., Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2009;80 

(2-3):85-91. 5. Brenna JT et al., Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;85(6):1457-64. 6. Carnielli VP., et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 1995;61(5): 

1037-42. 7. Carnielli VP., et al. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 1996;23(5):553-60. 8. Cow & Gate datacard [Available online: 

www.feedingforlifehcp.ie/fileadmin/PDFs/Literature/Cow_Gate_StandardDatacard_correct_at_2012.pdf][Accessed 

October 2015]. 9. SMA Infant Milk datacard [Available online: https://www.smahcp.ie/sma-products/first-infant-milk/ 

nutrition][Accessed October 2015].

PROFESSIONAL Aoibheann Ní Shúilleabháin. Marketing & Events Executive 

IPU Advertising 

Campaign 2015 

The IPU continued its radio and television advertising 

campaign in 2015 to promote the ‘Ask Your Pharmacist 

First’ message to the public. In this article, Aoibheann 

Ní Shúilleabháin, Marketing & Events Executive, IPU, 

provides an update on the effectiveness of the campaign. 

The IPU has 

been running 

advertising 

campaigns 

on radio for a 

number of years and last 

year, two television ads were 

also produced to expand 

our audience reach. The 

2015 advertising campaign 

consisted of five segments: 

three radio ads and the two 

television ads. The ads were 

broadcast at different stages 

throughout the year, according 

to the issue being highlighted, 

and received extensive 

national airplay. 

The first ad campaign of 

the year was the Hay Fever 

radio ad. The ad aired ran 

at the beginning of May and 

encouraged people to ‘Ask 

Your Pharmacist First’ about 

their hay fever symptoms and 

the best treatment options 

available. The ad ran for one 

week from 1 May and posters 

were sent to pharmacies to 

support the message. 

Research carried out by 

Behaviour & Attitudes on 

behalf of the IPU shows that 

women visit pharmacies far 

more frequently than men 

(research carried out in March 

56 


2015 showed that, in the past 

month, 90% of women had 

visited a pharmacy, compared 

to 63% of men). Therefore, 

the media plan was skewed 

towards men by including 

Newstalk in the plan, along 

with Today FM and a number 

of regional radio stations. The 

radio ad would have been 

heard by 56% of men aged 20- 

35 and they would have had 

the opportunity to hear the ad 

3.5 times. 

The next segment of the 

campaign was the ‘Toe to Go’ 

TV ad, which ran for three 

weeks in June. The television 

ads had performed well when 

they were launched in October 

2014 and received very positive 

feedback from members and 

the public. The IPU had ran 

a TV advertising campaign 

previously in 2006 and January 

2007, with a similar message 

of ‘Think Pharmacist First’. 

It was decided to return to 

the realm of television as it 

is an effective medium that 

allows us to communicate the 

valuable role of community 

pharmacists to a larger 

audience. 

The ‘Toe to Go’ ad highlights 

the importance of seeking 

healthcare advice from 

a trusted healthcare 

professional. It uses humour 

to engage the audience, yet 

delivers a clear, unambiguous 

message: ask your pharmacist 

first for advice you can really 

trust. The ad was broadcast 

on RTÉ, TV3, 3E and SKY 

Media package and appeared 

during top programming such 

as RTÉ One Six-One News, 

Coronation Street, Fair City 

and Emmerdale. The ad would 

have been seen by two million 

adults and they would have 

had the opportunity to see it 

3.4 times. 

The next burst of radio ads 

ran in September to coincide 

with the flu season. The target 

audience for this ad was 

different to the hay fever ad, 

due to the at-risk categories 

recommended to receive 

the flu vaccination. With 

pregnancy being an ‘at-risk’ 

category, we included women 

aged 25-44 as a key audience 

group; 40% of women in this 

group would have heard the 

ad. RTÉ Radio One replaced 

Today FM in the media mix 

to accommodate an older 

audience. The ad performed 

exceptionally well, airing 

during programmes such as 

Liveline, The Ray D’arcy Show, 

Morning Ireland, Drivetime, News 

at One, Marian Finucane and 

The Ryan Tubridy Show. 75% of 

adults 55+ would have heard 

the ad at least once and had 

the opportunity to hear it four 

times. Posters and leaflets 

were sent to all pharmacies 

to highlight the Pharmacy Flu 

Vaccination Service. 

The second of our TV ads 

returned to the screens at 

the beginning of October and 

ran for three weeks. The ad 

focuses on getting the wrong 

information by turning to the 

internet for advice. The ad 

engages the audience with a 

humorous, life-like scenario, 

making the ad likeable and 

memorable, and reminds 

the public that for advice 

If hay fever attacks, 

we’ll come to the rescue. 

For non-prescription allergy remedies and advice. 

you can really trust, ask 

your pharmacist first. The ad 

appeared during programmes 

such as RTÉ One Six-One News, 

The Late Late Show, Coronation 

Street and TV3’s coverage of 

the Rugby World Cup. 65% of 

all adults would have seen the 

TV ad at least once. 

In addition to the television 

packages used for the previous 

TV ad, the ad appeared on 

video on demand. The ad 

would have been seen by 

431,531 people through this 

medium. The ad not only 

appeared on the websites 

or players of TV stations 

such as RTÉ, TV3, TG4, UTV, 

Channel 4 and Sky, but also on 

newspaper websites, including 

the Irish Times. 

The final radio ad of 2015 

will run from 14 December for 

ASK YOUR 

PHARMACIST FIRST 

I’m here to help! 

Pharmacists know how 

irritating a runny nose, itchy 

eyes, sneezing and wheezing 

can be, which is why we have 

a wide range of non-prescription 

medicines that can help 

relieve the symptoms of hay 

fever. So, for expert advice 

without the wait, ask your 

pharmacist first. 

one week. The ad will air on 

national and regional radio 

stations and focus on the 

retail aspect of pharmacies. 

It is aimed at a younger 

audience who may be looking 

for Christmas gift ideas and is 

expected to be heard by 57% 

of adults aged 18-34. Posters 

will be sent to pharmacies to 

complement the radio ads. 

Irish community 

pharmacists and their staff 

play a vital role in the primary 

healthcare system and it is 

important that the public 

is aware of the professional 

service provided. The IPU 

will continue to promote the 

role of the pharmacist to 

members of the public, the 

media, politicians and other 

stakeholders. 

“ The media plan was skewed towards men 

by including Newstalk in the plan, along 

with Today FM and a number of regional 

radio stations. The radio ad would have 

been heard by 56% of men aged 20-35 

and they would have had the opportunity 

to hear the ad 3.5 times.” 


PROFESSIONAL 

Review concludes 

evidence does not 

support that HPV vaccines 

cause CRPS or POTS 

Reports of CRPS and POTS after HPV vaccination are 

consistent with what would be expected in this age group. 

The European 

Medicines 

Agency’s 

Pharmacovigilance 

Risk Assessment 

Committee (PRAC) has 

completed a detailed scientific 

review of the evidence 

surrounding reports of two 

syndromes, complex regional 

pain syndrome (CRPS) 

and postural orthostatic 

tachycardia syndrome (POTS) 

in young women given human 

papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. 

These vaccines are given to 

protect them from cervical 

cancer and other HPV-related 

cancers and pre-cancerous 

conditions. This review 

concluded that the evidence 

does not support a causal 

link between the vaccines 

(Cervarix, Gardasil/Silgard and 

Gardasil-9) and development 

of CRPS or POTS. Therefore 

there is no reason to change 

the way the vaccines are used 

or amend the current product 

information. 

CRPS is a chronic pain 

syndrome affecting a limb, 

while POTS is a condition 

where the heart rate increases 

abnormally on sitting or 

standing up, together with 

symptoms such as dizziness, 

fainting and weakness, as 

well as headache, aches and 

pains, nausea and fatigue. 

In some patients, they can 

severely affect the quality 

of life. The syndromes are 

recognised to occur in the 

general population, including 

adolescents, regardless of 

vaccination. 

PRAC thoroughly reviewed 

the published research, data 

from clinical trials and reports 

of suspected side effects 

from patients and healthcare 

professionals, as well as data 

supplied by Member States. 

It also consulted a group of 

leading experts in the field, 

and took into account detailed 

information received from a 

number of patient groups that 

also highlighted the impact 

these syndromes can have on 

patients and families. 

Symptoms of CRPS and 

POTS may overlap with other 

conditions, making diagnosis 

difficult in both the general 

population and vaccinated 

individuals. However, available 

estimates suggest that in the 

general population around 

150 girls and young women 

per million aged 10 to 19 years 

may develop CRPS each year, 

and at least 150 girls and 

young women per million 

may develop POTS each year. 

The review found no evidence 

that the overall rates of these 

syndromes in vaccinated girls 

were different from expected 

rates in these age groups, even 

taking into account possible 

underreporting. The PRAC 

noted that some symptoms 

of CRPS and POTS may 

overlap with chronic fatigue 

syndrome (CFS, also known 

as myalgic encephalomyelitis 

or ME). Many of the reports 

considered in the review have 

features of CFS and some 

patients had diagnoses of 

both POTS and CFS. Results 

of a large published study 

that showed no link between 

HPV vaccine and CFS were 

therefore particularly relevant. 

The PRAC concluded that 

the available evidence does 

not support that CRPS and 

POTS are caused by HPV 

vaccines. Therefore there 

is no reason to change the 

way the vaccines are used or 

amend the current product 

information. 

The review recognised that 

more than 80 million girls and 

women worldwide have now 

received these vaccines, and 

in some European countries 

they have been given to 90% of 

the age group recommended 

for vaccination. Use of 

these vaccines is expected 

to prevent many cases of 

cervical cancer (cancer of 

the neck of the womb, which 

is responsible for tens of 

thousands of deaths in Europe 

each year) and various other 

cancers and conditions caused 

by HPV. The benefits of HPV 

vaccines therefore continue 

to outweigh their risks. The 

safety of these vaccines, 

as with all medicines, will 

continue to be carefully 

monitored. 

The PRAC’s 

recommendations will now be 

passed to the Committee for 

Medicinal Products for Human 

Use (CHMP) for adoption of 

the Agency’s final position. 

The evidence supporting the 

PRAC review will be published 

in an assessment report 

following the CHMP opinion. 

This press release, together 

with all related documents, 

is available on the Agency’s 

website, www.ema.europa.eu 

> News & Events. 

58 


Success. 

It’s in the bag. 

Choose Your 

Services 

Handpick exactly 

the products, 

services and 

support your 

pharmacy needs. 

Maintain Your 

Independence 

Because it’s your 

pharmacy and your 

reputation in your 

local community 

that matters most. 

Grow Your 

Business 

Use our tools, 

resources and 

support to grow your 

existing business 

while identifying 

and developing new 

opportunities.. 

HOW CAN I BECOME PART OF THE UNIQUE 

ONE STOP SHOP CONCEPT? 

Contact Ann Walsh, Marketing Manager Retail on 087 2345 046 

or email ann.walsh@united-drug.com 

www.onestopshop.today 

UnitedDrug 

Wholesale 


PHARMACIST AWARDS 2015 

Vin Cronin 

honoured at 

PBF/Helix Health 

Pharmacist Awards 

The annual Helix Health 

Pharmacist Awards took 

place with a special 

ceremony on Saturday, 21 

November. 10 awards were 

presented on the night. 

The Awards were 

established to 

recognise the 

important role 

that pharmacists 

play in communities all over 

the country. They also serve 

to raise the standard of the 

profession across the board 

by awarding best practice 

across a range of specialties, 

in addition to raising funds for 

charity through the Pharmacy 

Benevolent Fund (PBF). 

Lifetime Achievement 

Award for “remarkable” 

pharmacist 

A retired community 

pharmacist, who devoted 

much of his career to changing 

the practice of pharmacy in 

Ireland, was bestowed with 

the Liz Herbert Memorial 

Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Originally from Wexford, Vin 

Cronin set up his community 

pharmacy with his wife, Mary, 

in Balbriggan in 1974 and the 

L-R: Rory O’Donnell, President of the PBF; Kathy Maher, President of the IPU; Vin Cronin, who 

received the Liz Herbert Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award, Jennifer Hughes, Director of 

Marketing Helix Health/Clanwilliam Group; Darragh O’Loughlin, Secretary General, IPU; and 

Fintan Moore, Chairman of the Helix Health Pharmacist Awards Committee. 


PBF/Helix Health Pharmacist Award Winners 2015 

Young Pharmacist of the Year Award 

(L-R) Pat Kenny; Rory O’Donnell; Aoife Carolan; Kathy Maher, IPU 

President; and Jennifer Hughes, Director of Marketing, Helix Health. 

Practice-Based Research Award 

(L-R): Pat Kenny; Rory O’Donnell; Caroline Hynes; 

John Gallagher, Country Manager hmR Ireland; and 

Jennifer Hughes, Director of Marketing, Helix Health. 

Pharmacist Contribution 

to the Community Award 

(L-R): Michael O’Halloran, 

Pharmacy Business Manager, 

Pinewood; and Des Marron. 

Patient Nominated Award 

(L-R): Pat Kenny; Rory O’Donnell; Sarah Corry, Retail Business 

Unit Manager, Teva; Mike Walsh; and Jennifer Hughes, 

Director of Marketing, Helix Health. 

Excellence in Community 

Practice Award 

(L-R): Tom Treacy and 

Pat Campion, Country 

Manager, Lundbeck. 

couple served the bustling 

town for more than 30 years. 

During that time, Vin 

pioneered many practice 

changes, all the while also 

working tirelessly to promote 

lifelong learning in the 

sector and support students 

and pharmacists in their 

education. He later served on 

the PSI Council, where he was 

charged with putting a formal 

structure in place for the 

pre-registration year, a move 

which changed the very fabric 

of community pharmacy. 

Speaking at the awards, Mr 

Cronin said he was extremely 

honoured to be recognised by 

his peers with this award. “I 

feel particularly honoured to 

receive this award, because 

it is in memory of a lady I 

knew quite well; Liz Herbert, 

who was from my hometown 

of Wexford. She was a very 

vibrant lady, who greatly 

contributed to pharmacy 

life and in particular the 

Pharmacy Benevolent Fund, 

which helps less fortunate 

pharmacists, their dependents 

and staff across the country. 

It was her persistence that 

led to the establishment of 

these very awards. I also 

acknowledge the many people 

who influenced my career over 

many years.” 

Mr Cronin was one of nine 

pharmacists honoured at 

the Awards, which aim to 

celebrate pharmacy and raise 

awareness of the outstanding 

work being undertaken by 

pharmacists across the 

country. Pharmacists in the 

community, industry and 

hospital sectors also received 

recognition at the event for 

their contribution to the Irish 

pharmacy sector. 

The Chairman of the Helix 

Health Pharmacist Awards 

Committee, Fintan Moore, 

described the event as a great 

success. “The Awards serve as 

a great opportunity to honour 

some of the truly outstanding 

pharmacists working across 

the length and breadth of the 

country. I think in the past, 

many people didn’t always 

realise the hard work that 

pharmacists were putting in 

behind the scenes to deliver 

the safest possible service to 

their patients, but people are 

more aware of the value of 

their pharmacists and now we 

are seeing our pharmacists 

delivering more and more 

services, like the flu vaccine. 

Hopefully, we will continue to 

expand the services we can 

offer patients in the future.” 

He added, “Crucially, the 

Awards are also one of the key 

fundraisers for the Pharmacy 

Benevolent Fund, which 

supports pharmacists who 

are in need of assistance. 

Unfortunately, the reality is 

that while many people might 

assume that pharmacy is an 

area that has been spared 

by the downturn, the reality 

is a significant proportion of 

pharmacists are struggling 

financially and the Benevolent 

Fund plays a huge role in 

helping these people to cope.” 


PBF/Helix Health Pharmacist Award Winners 2015 

Pharmacist-Led Team Award 

(L-R): Pat Kenny; Rory O’Donnell; Ciara McManamly; 

Todd Manning, General Manager, Abbvie; and Jennifer Hughes, 

Director of Marketing, Helix Health. 

Professional Excellence Award 

(L-R): Pat Kenny; Rory O’Donnell; James O’ Connor, Pfizer; 

John Michael Morris; and Jennifer Hughes, 

Director of Marketing, Helix Health 

Liz Herbert Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award 

(L-R): Rory O’Donnell; Vin Cronin; Padraig Ferguson, JPA Brenson 

Lawlor; and Jennifer Hughes, Director of Marketing, Helix Health. 

Excellence in Hospital Pharmacy Award 

and Overall Pharmacist of the Year Award 

L-R: Pat Kenny; Rory O’Donnell; Michelle Kirrane; Ingrid Walsh, 

Head of Commercial and Consumer Healthcare, Sanofi; and 

Jennifer Hughes, Director of Marketing, Helix Health. 

The PBF President, Rory 

O’Donnell, thanked the Awards 

Committee for their support 

of the charity at a time when 

many pharmacists continue 

to find themselves in financial 

difficulty. “Worryingly, there 

has been a recent shift in the 

type of cases being handled 

by the Pharmacy Benevolent 

Fund. Historically, our 

beneficiary profile tended to be 

of retirement age. We are now 

seeing young pharmacists in 

urgent need of our help.” 

Jennifer Hughes, Director 

of Marketing Helix Health/ 

Clanwilliam Group, added, 

“Helix Health, now part of 

Clanwilliam Group, leading 

healthcare and technology 

group, has been the main 

sponsor of the Pharmacist 

Awards since their inception 

in 2005 and, while the 

company’s name and form 

may have changed over the 

10 years since the inaugural 

event, our commitment to the 

Awards remains resolutely 

steadfast. Every day we 

continue to be impressed by 

the hard work and dedication 

of pharmacists across the 

country and we are delighted 

to be able to help celebrate 

their successes through 

the Awards as well as raise 

much needed funds for the 

Pharmacy Benevolent Fund.” 

The awards were attended 

by over 350 people and MC’d 

by well-known broadcaster, 

Pat Kenny. 

The category winners were: 

n Young Pharmacist 

of the Year Award – 

sponsored by the IPU: 

Aoife Carolan, 

Pharmacy Dept St. 

John of God’s, Hospital 

Stillorgan, Dublin. 

n Practice-Based 

Research Award – 

sponsored by hmR Ireland: 

Caroline Hynes, St John 

of God’s Hospital, 

Stillorgan, Dublin. 

n Patient Nominated 

Award – sponsored 

by Teva: Mike Walsh, 

Walsh’s Pharmacy, 

Patrick Street, 

Fermoy, Co Cork. 

n Pharmacist Contribution 

to the Community 

Award – sponsored by 

Pinewood: Des Marron, 

Marron’s Pharmacy, 

Clane, Co Kildare. 

n Excellence in 

Community Practice 


Lundbeck: Tom Treacy, 

Treacy’s Pharmacy, James 

St, Westport, Co Mayo. 

n Pharmacist-Led 

Team Award – 

sponsored by Abbvie: 

Ciara McManamly, 

Pharmacy Dept, 

Tallaght Hospital, 

Dublin. 

62 


“ The Awards serve as a great 

opportunity to honour some of 

the truly outstanding pharmacists 

working across the length and 

breadth of the country. ” 

Fintan Moore, Chairman, Helix Health Pharmacist Awards Committee 

n Professional Excellence 


Pfizer: John Michael 

Morris, Health Products 

Regulatory Authority. 

n Excellence in Hospital 

Pharmacy Award – 

sponsored by Sanofi: 

Michelle Kirrane, 

Temple Street Children’s 

University Hospital. 

n Liz Herbert Memorial 

Lifetime Achievement 

Award – sponsored 

by JPA Brenson Lawlor: 

Vin Cronin, Balbriggan, 

Dublin and formerly 

of Wexford. 

n Overall Pharmacist 

of the Year Award – 

Sponsored by Helix Health: 

Michelle Kirrane, 

Temple Street Children’s 

University Hospital. 

Pharmacy Benevolent 

Fund (PBF) 

The PBF supports those who 

are, or have been, associated 

with pharmacy and who are 

now in need of assistance. 

The main objective of the 

PBF is “the relief of poverty 

by giving financial assistance 

to persons in need, who 

are, or have been, engaged 

in or associated with the 

pharmaceutical profession 

and to the spouses, widows, 

widowers, children and other 

dependents of such persons 

who themselves are in need.” 

Further details about the 

Awards are available at 

www.pharmacistawards.com. 

EIIS WIND FARM 

INVESTMENT 

OPPORTUNITY 

GURTEEN WINDFARM LTD is pleased to announce the opening of the 

Gurteen Windfarm EIIS Investment Opportunity, offering investors a 

premium of 10% in addition to the tax relief available. 

PROJECT PARTICULARS 

D Up to 40% tax relief available. 

D Fully consented, construction ready, asset backed project 

with very strong cashflows, located in Co. Tipperary. 

D Experienced project developers with a track record. 

D Projected IRR of c.15%. 

D No commission fee, no annual fee, no exit fee. 

For a copy of the 

information memorandum 

please send an email with 

your contact details to: 

justin.rutherford@rcl.ie 

or phone 086 8012757 

Gurteen Windfarm Half-Page Ad ART.indd 1 03/12/2015 15:41 


BUSINESS Michael McGourty 

Apple’s iPhone 

Upgrade Plan 

The latest iPhone is released and Michael 

McGourty investigates an inexpensive 

way to get your hands on one. 

As a follow-on to 

my last column, 

the latest version 

of the iPhone, 

the 6S, was 

launched. However, it doesn’t 

offer the optical zoom feature 

that I predicted. It looks as if 

this won’t happen until the 

next iPhone upgrade, probably 

the iPhone 7. I intended to 

purchase the phone outright, 

but at a cost of around €700, 

I’m reluctant to do this as I 

view the zoom feature as an 

important part of the camera 

element. 

Upgrade 

However, there was better 

news on another front. Apple 

introduced an imaginative 

sales tactic with the launch 

of its iPhone Upgrade 

Programme. Essentially, it’s a 

leasing facility. For a monthly 

instalment, over a two-year 

contract, the programme 

allows you to get a new iPhone 

every year. You just return 

your current iPhone for a new 

one and a new iPhone Upgrade 

Programme begins. 

It’s important to realise that 

the scheme only gives you the 

phone. You still need a provider 

such as Vodafone or O2 for 

the actual phone service, be it 

pay-as-you-go or bill-pay. As 

you already have the phone, 

the monthly cost on a bill pay 

scheme should be considerably 

lower than on a contract 

where the service provider also 

supplies the phone. 

Reduced control by 

service providers? 

At first sight, the iPhone 

Upgrade Programme appears 

to offer Apple customers 

the opportunity to eliminate 

any control by the service 

providers over new phone 

purchases and upgrades. The 

recent launch of the scheme 

in the USA has shown that 

this is not entirely the case, as 

I will demonstrate further on 

in this column. 

Insurance cover built-in 

An excellent benefit of the 

programme is that it includes 

Apple Care, this is Apple’s own 

insurance programme against 

broken phones. It covers 

hardware repairs, software 

support and, most importantly, 

two cases of accidental 

damage. So shattered screens, 

a common occurrence with 

Smartphones, are no longer 

an issue when you’re on the 

Upgrade Programme. You are 

permitted two claims. That 

means that over the course of 

the programme you can suffer 

two incidents of accidental 

damage and have Apple 

replace it with a brand 

new phone. 

Worldwide availability 

At the launch of the iPhone 

6s, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, 

said that the scheme would 

be available worldwide. It’s 

already up and running in the 

USA. The cost starts at $30 

per month depending on the 

selected phone’s specifications. 

I’ve no information as to when 

the scheme will be available 

in Ireland. 

USA launch has 

its problems 

As the scheme is only 

currently available in the USA, 

I’ve done some research into 

customers’ experience and 

reaction to the programme. 

It seems that the plan is 

experiencing some teething 

problems. Firstly, there’s 

still a dependence on the 

service providers that Apple 

doesn’t fully disclose. This 

was revealed when customers 

signing up to the scheme had 

to select a service provider 

when ordering an Upgrade 

iPhone. It appears that each 

Upgrade model is tied to a 

particular service provider. 

The service provider’s 

dependence only applies to 

initial activation, once the 

iPhone is setup, it is unlocked. 

Rigorous credit check 

Apple has placed a further 

hurdle for customers wishing 

to join the scheme. The normal 

procedure of giving your 

credit or debit card details 

to sign up for a direct debit 

payment doesn’t apply here. 

All applicants must undergo a 

credit check. I can understand 

Apple’s reasoning behind 

this. Unlike a service that 

can be cancelled, should the 

applicant default, repossessing 

the phone could prove more 

difficult from an uncooperative 

customer. In the USA, it’s a 

third party bank, not Apple, 

that handles the financing. For 

customers with a good credit 

rating, most did not expect this 

requirement to be an issue. 

However, when they applied, 

some customers, with a good 

rating, have had frustrating 

experiences of being declined. 

A further unpleasant surprise 

is that your first payment 

includes the full tax (in our 

case it will be the VAT) on the 

total two-year amount of the 

contract. 

European launch 

As mentioned, no date has 

been set for the availability 

of the programme in Europe. 

This is probably due to 

aforementioned hitches 

experienced in the USA. 

Furthermore, if similar 

financial arrangements are 

planned for Ireland, this will 

require agreements with third 

party banks to be established 

as Apple do not do the 

financing themselves. 

Michael McGourty 

can be contacted at 

digitalmac@eircom.net. 

64 


Irish Pharmacy 2016. Modern and refined 

medicines information at the touch of a 

screen or click of a mouse 

NEW IMF-Online 

Irish Medicines Formulary 

(IMF) (as described by a 

community pharmacist) “If a 

drug is licensed and marketed 

in Ireland it’s in IMF. That 

makes my job a lot easier”. 

New – IMF-Online 

Medicines information you need is now 

available from the new IMF-Online. It’s 

incredibly fast in its search function and 

ultra-easy to navigate. Detailed information 

for every brand, branded generic and true 

generic at the click of a mouse or tap of a 

screen. Double-check with style. 

IMF-Online is fully device-responsive 

which allows you to quickly get the drug 

information you need anytime, anywhere. 

Use IMF-Online from your pharmacy PC, 

laptop, tablet or use it on the go with your 

smartphone. Your own pharmacy database 

wherever you are – in the dispensary, 

visiting a nursing home, front or back of 

shop or phoning your locum with guidance. 

IMF-Online is like a shared language for 

healthcare professionals helping to avoid 

medication errors. You can even print-off 

prescribing information when needed. 

Why is IMF-Online different? 

Information for every drug in IMF-Online 

is Ireland-specific. Prices are in Euro. 

Reimbursement schemes are relevant for 

Ireland. Reference pricing and generic 

substitution details are specific for Ireland. 

If you need to contact a manufacturer or 

supplier, the telephone numbers in IMF- 

Online are relevant for pharmacists in 

Ireland. 

The speed and ease of navigation make 

IMF-Online a joy to use. It makes checking 

medicines information exciting rather than 

hassle. So much pharmacy-power for such 

low cost at only €49.99 for 6-months. 

IMF-Online is the engine powering 

pharmacy beyond the dispensary in modern 

Ireland. 

On-hand (IMF book) and online (NEW IMF-Online) – flick or click for instant answers to 

your medicines queries. Contact us for immediate access. 

www.irishmedicinesformulary.ie 

Irish Medicines Formulary and IMF-Online, published by Meridian Ireland. 

Tel: +353-1-8390073, Email: sales@meridianireland.com

PROFESSIONAL 

POLITICS Stephen O’Byrnes 

Minor ailment scheme 

urged for pharmacies 

The value of expanding the role of community 

pharmacists in primary care is worth exploring 

Sean Kyne, Fine Gael 

Kathleen Lynch, Labour 

Leo Varadkar, Fine Gael 

Eoghan Murphy, Fine Gael 

Sean Fleming, Fianna Fáil 

The value of expanding 

the role of community 

pharmacists in primary care 

is worth exploring, according 

to the Minister for State in 

the Department of Health, in 

response to a question from 

Deputy Seán Kyne (Fine Gael, 

Galway West), who asked 

the Minister for Health what 

progress the Department had 

made on examining the issue 

of introducing a minor ailment 

scheme for pharmacies “in 

order that pharmacies can 

realise their full potential in 

contributing to the primary 

care needs of communities”. 

The Minister of State, 

Deputy Kathleen Lynch 

(Labour, Cork North Central), 

said that expanding the role of 

the community pharmacist, to 

include provision of services 

such as a Minor Ailment 

Scheme, was worth exploring 

to further expand and develop 

the primary care sector. 

“It is important that such 

proposals generate real 

savings on existing public 

expenditure since the 

health service continues to 

operate within tight budget 

constraints. The Department 

of Health is examining this 

issue having regard to the 

evidence-base for such 

a service, including the 

application of such schemes 

in other countries, and 

any contractual or funding 

implications.” 

To assist the Department’s 

examination of the subject, 

the Health Research Board 

(HRB) was undertaking an 

analysis of Minor Ailment 

Schemes in other jurisdictions. 

Pharmacists 

may administer 

adrenaline autoinjectors 

The Minister for Health, Leo 

Varadkar (Fine Gael, Dublin 

West) signed new regulations 

in October that allow certain 

prescription-only medicines, 

including adrenaline autoinjectors, 

to be administered 

by pharmacists and trained 

members of the public in 

emergency situations. 

“Organisations such as 

colleges, schools, restaurants 

and sports clubs will be 

allowed to hold adrenaline 

auto-injectors and to arrange 

for staff to be trained in 

their use in the event of 

an emergency. Under the 

new arrangements it is a 

condition of administration 

of the medication concerned 

by lay persons that such 

persons must have undergone 

appropriate training in this 

regard.” 

The Minister told Deputy 

Eoghan Murphy (Fine Gael, 

Dublin South-East) that the 

arrangements which the 

new regulations permit were 

voluntary and organisations 

were not obliged to participate 

unless they wished to do so. 

Adrenaline auto-injector 

pens were normally ordered by 

pharmacies from wholesalers 

and dispensed to patients on 

foot of a prescription, he said. 

Talks under way on 

new drug pricing 

agreement 

Preliminary discussions have 

taken place with the Irish 

Pharmaceutical Healthcare 

Association (IPHA) regarding a 

possible successor agreement 

to the existing drugs pricing 

and supply agreement 

between the IPHA, the 

Department of Health and the 

HSE, the Minister for Health 

told Deputy Sean Fleming 

(Fianna Fáil, Laois-Offaly) who 

asked why there was no new 

agreement for drug pricing in 

2015. 

The Minister said his 

officials were working with 

colleagues in the HSE, 

the Department of Public 

Expenditure and Reform and 

the Office of Government 

Procurement, to achieve the 

best possible deal in terms 

of value for money over the 

next three years. He said the 

existing agreement, which 

ran out at the end of October, 

would remain in place 

until discussions on a new 

agreement were concluded. 

Emergency 

contraception 

dispensing 

Deputy Ruth Coppinger 

(Socialist Party, Dublin West) 

asked the Minister for Health 

his view on the PSI guidance 

that pharmacists may refuse 

to dispense the emergency 

contraception drugs, NorLevo 

and ellaOne, if it is contrary to 

their moral beliefs. 

66 


In reply, the Minister of 

State Deputy Kathleen 

Lynch said these medicinal 

products had been reclassified 

from ‘prescription only’ to 

‘pharmacy only’ supply for use 

as emergency contraception in 

2011 and 2015. 

In a written reply, she 

said that “as healthcare 

professionals, practising 

pharmacists are required 

to display full technical 

competence in their chosen 

profession, behave with 

probity and integrity, and to be 

accountable in this regard for 

their actions. These qualities 

of competence, probity, 

integrity and accountability, 

which a pharmacist must 

demonstrate, are underwritten 

by a statutory Code of 

Conduct. All pharmacists 

must subscribe to this Code. 

“The Code states that the 

practice by a pharmacist of 

his/her profession must be 

directed toward maintaining 

and improving the health, 

well-being, care and safety 

of the patient. The Code 

also requires pharmacists 

to ensure that, in instances 

where they are unable to 

provide services to a patient 

(e.g. in situations where 

they have a conscientious 

objection to such a provision), 

they take reasonable action 

to ensure those medicines/ 

services are provided and 

that the patient’s care is not 

jeopardised. In practice, this 

means facilitating the patient 

in accessing the information 

or service required to meet 

their needs from another 

pharmacist/pharmacy. 

“In addition to the Code, 

the PSI issued two guidance 

documents to pharmacists: 

PSI Guidance for Pharmacists 

on the Safe Supply of Non- 

Prescription Medicinal 

Products Containing 

Levonorgestrel 1500mcg 

for Emergency Hormonal 

Contraception and PSI 

Guidance for Pharmacists 

on the Safe Supply of Non- 

Prescription Ulipristal Acetate 

30mg (ellaOne ® ) for Emergency 

Hormonal Contraception, 

which provide guidance in 

fulfilling their professional 

responsibilities in the supply of 

these medicines. The guidance 

documents are reviewed 

and updated regularly and 

circulated to the profession.” 

Critical importance 

of flu vaccine 

underlined by 

40,000 premature 

deaths in EU from 

influenza 

The vital importance of 

the winter flu vaccine was 

highlighted in the Dáil recently 

when the Minister for Health 

said that up to 40,000 people 

die prematurely across the EU 

during an average influenza 

season. He also stressed how 

critical it is for all healthcare 

workers to get the vaccine. 

Influenza vaccination 

provides protection against 

at least three strains of flu 

each season and remains 

the most effective measure 

to prevent illness and death 

from influenza, the Minister 

for Health told the Dáil 

recently. He also said that 

up to 40,000 people die 

prematurely in the EU during 

an average influenza season. 

“Protecting those who are at 

risk of severe outcomes of 

influenza remains the priority 

of vaccination programmes, 

particularly the elderly and 

those vulnerable due to 

pre-existing illnesses or risk 

factors,” he said. 

The Minister was replying 

to the Sinn Féin Health 

Spokesperson, Deputy 

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin 

(Cavan-Monaghan), who 

asked what promotional steps 

were being employed for 

the vaccine, and what steps 

have been taken “to ensure 

the appropriateness of the 

vaccine, given the non-matchup 

last year”. 

The Minister said the 

annual seasonal influenza 

vaccination is recommended 

by the National Immunisation 

Advisory Committee (NIAC) of 

the Royal College of Physicians 

of Ireland (RCPI) and the 

HSE, for individuals at risk 

of severe influenza disease 

(those aged 65 and older, 

those with specified chronic 

medical conditions requiring 

regular follow up, pregnancy, 

morbid obesity), and certain 

occupational groups (those 

working with poultry, wild 

fowl and pigs, healthcare 

workers (HCWs) and those 

likely to transmit influenza to 

those at high risk of influenza 

complications). 

“There are three types of 

influenza virus; A, B and C. 

Influenza A and B cause most 

influenza cases. Each winter 

a different type of influenza 

virus can be the predominant 

strain affecting the majority 

of people and the vaccine 

changes to suit the strain of 

circulating virus in line with 

World Health Organisation 

recommendations. This 

year’s strains include an A/ 

California/7/2009 (H1N1) 

pdm09-like virus; an A/ 

Switzerland/9715293/2013 

(H3N2)-like virus; and a B/ 

Phuket/3073/2013-like virus. 

“Last year’s flu vaccine 

was not as effective because 

the strain of flu that was 

circulating had changed and 

was not exactly the same as 

one of the three strains in the 

vaccine. However, the vaccine 

still reduced severe illness and 

hospitalisation for those in the 

at-risk groups. This year’s flu 

vaccine is expected to be 40- 

90% effective. 

“The vaccine is available 

free-of-charge from GPs for all 

people in at risk groups and 

from pharmacists for people 

in at risk groups aged 18 and 

over. An administration charge 

may apply to people who do 

not hold medical cards or 

GP visit cards,” the Minister 

added. 

“Achieving a high uptake 

of influenza vaccination 

among healthcare workers 

(HCWs) is recognised as a vital 

infection control intervention 

and occupational health 

issue, to reduce the risk 

of influenza transmission 

between patients and HCWs 

with the potential for severe 

disease in patients and staff. 

For the 2015-2016 influenza 

season all HCWs should 

obtain influenza vaccination 

(unless contraindicated) to 

protect themselves, their 

patients, work colleagues and 

vulnerable family members 

from influenza.” 

Meningococcal 

B vaccine being 

examined 

A vaccine against MenC is 

given to children at four 

months and 13 months of 

age as part of the Primary 

Childhood Immunisation 

Schedule and a booster dose 

is given to children in the first 

Ruth Coppinger, Socialist Party 

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Sinn Féin 


Terence Flanagan, Renua 

Michael Healy-Rae, Independent 

Billy Kelleher, Fianna Fáil 

Michael Moynihan, Fianna Fáil 

Clare Daly, Independent Socialist 

Maureen O’Sullivan, Independent 

Anne Ferris, Labour 

year of second level school to 

protect against meningococcal 

C disease until early 

adulthood. This was stated 

by the Minister for Health 

in reply to a question from 

Deputy Terence Flanagan 

(Renua, Dublin North East). 

The Minister said that 

National Immunisation 

Advisory Committee (NIAC) 

also recommends the 

inclusion of Meningococcal 

B vaccine in the primary 

immunisation programme, 

if the vaccine can be made 

available at a cost-effective 

price. “I have asked the HSE to 

engage with the manufacturer 

with a view to establishing 

whether a cost-effective and 

sustainable price is achievable 

in Ireland without prejudice 

to the ultimate decision on 

whether the vaccine should be 

introduced or not. 

“NIAC has issued guidance 

in relation to the use of the 

Meningococcal B vaccine 

in the control of clusters or 

outbreaks of the disease.” 

The Minister told Deputy 

Flanagan that immunisation 

policy is based on providing 

a safe, sustainable and 

cost-effective programme 

of immunisation. “The 

introduction of any new 

vaccine into the primary 

childhood immunisation 

schedule will be considered 

in the context of recommendations 

from NIAC, the outcome 

of cost-effective analysis, the 

conclusions of the review 

of HSE vaccination services 

currently being carried out, 

and resource availability.” 

Queries about 

acne treatment 

“While there is a favourable 

benefit versus risk for patients 

for a specific indication, there 

is no basis to justify removing 

a medicine from the market. 

Indeed such a removal 

could restrict access for a 

vulnerable group of patients 

to an effective treatment,” 

the Minister of State for 

Health, Deputy Lynch told 

Deputy Michael Healy-Rae 

(Independent, Kerry South) 

in a written reply to a series 

of Parliamentary Questions 

about the drug Roaccutane. 

The Minister said that 

Roaccutane (isotretinoin) 

was authorised in Ireland for 

treating severe forms of acne 

which were resistant to other 

standard therapies. “In short, 

Roaccutane is prescribed 

when other acne treatments 

fail. Serious acne can be a 

physical and social burden for 

patients while severe acne, 

if left untreated, may cause 

permanent scarring. 

“However as with all 

medicines there are side 

effects and these are 

documented in the product 

information. The product 

information also requires 

that Roaccutane should only 

be prescribed by, or under, 

the supervision of physicians 

with expertise in the use of 

systemic retinoids for the 

treatment of severe acne and 

a full understanding of the 

risks of isotretinoin therapy 

and monitoring requirements.” 

In a number of his 

questions, Deputy Healy-Rae 

claimed that Roaccutane was 

a chemotherapy drug, but 

Minister Lynch said that “the 

product information makes no 

reference to Roaccutane as a 

treatment for cancer”. 

Many Deputies 

raise concerns 

about HPV vaccine 

A large number of 

Parliamentary Questions 

continue to be tabled to the 

Minister for Health by TDs of 

all parties expressing concern 

about the adverse reactions 

suffered by some schoolgirls 

to the human papilloma virus 

vaccine Gardasil. 

Deputy Caoimhghín 

Ó Caoláin claimed the 

information leaflet provided by 

the Health Service Executive to 

parents and guardians of girls 

due to receive the vaccine did 

not fully outline the potential 

side effects of this medication. 

Related questions were tabled 

by the Fianna Fáil Health 

Spokesperson, Deputy Billy 

Kelleher (Cork North-Central); 

Deputy Michael Moynihan 

(Fianna Fáil, Cork North- 

West), Deputy Clare Daly 

(Independent Socialist, Dublin 

North), and Deputy Maureen 

Sullivan (Independent, 

Dublin Central). 

Deputy Anne Ferris 

(Labour, Wicklow) asked the 

Minister for Health how his 

Department reconciles the 

requirement to satisfy average 

or below-average levels 

of adult literacy with the 

obligation placed on parents 

to navigate an Internet 

website in order to receive 

specific scientific information 

regarding the side effects of 

the vaccine. 

The Minister for Health 

said all vaccines provided 

by the HSE were based on 

the recommendation of 

the National Immunisation 

Advisory Committee to protect 

the public from preventable 

diseases, and were licensed 

by the Health Products 

Regulatory Authority and the 

European Medicines Agency. 

“All vaccination information 

provided to parents is 

prepared from the available 

licensed documentation for 

each vaccine, the Summary 

of Products Characteristics 

and Patient Information 

Leaflet. The information is 

presented in clear simple 

language and approved by 

the National Adult Literacy 

Agency ….. Prior to all school 

immunisation parents receive 

an information pack in a 

sealed package which contains 

an information leaflet, consent 

form and cover letter. 

“Information packs 

for all immunisation are 

standardised nationally. The 

information booklets include 

information on the most 

common adverse events 

that can occur after each 

vaccination. Parents are also 

given contact details for their 

local immunisation office and 

advised to speak to a member 

of the school immunisation 

team if they have any further 

questions”. 

The Minister also said that 

the safety of the HPV vaccine 

had been reviewed frequently 

by many international bodies 

including the European 

Medicines Agency (EMA), the 

Global Advisory Committee 

on Vaccine Safety of the 

World Health Organisation 

and the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention in the 

US. “These Committees have 

continually concluded that the 

HPV vaccine is safe.” 

He also said the EMA 

had advised healthcare 

professionals that available 

data does not warrant 

any change to the use of 

these vaccines. Healthcare 

professionals should therefore 

continue using Gardasil ® 

and Cervarix ® in accordance 

with the current product 

information. 

68 


We’re making it even easier 

to find unlicensed medicines. 

They’re now just a click away. 

shop.medisource.ie 

Medisource is delighted to introduce 

our new online ordering system 

for exempt medicinal products. 

Pharmacists can register for online 

access at shop.medisource.ie 

■ Real-time stock information 

■ Easy search filter 

■ Tracking of online order history 

■ Fast re-order option 

■ Relevant product details e.g. HSE code, 

Fridge item, Foreign pack 

■ No fax requirement 

The first dedicated and No. 1 supplier of 

unlicensed or difficult to get medicines in Ireland. 

Medisource is Irish-owned and has a team of 

pharmacist-led experts to deal with your enquiries. 

www.medisource.ie | Call 1890 2866366 | Fax 01 2866288 | Email info@medisource.ie

IPU SUPERVISORY 

DEVELOPMENT COURSE 

– INFORMATION 

The role of a Supervisor is both challenging and complex! 

One of the objectives of a Supervisor is to manage the 

performance of their team by ensuring that they are 

performing to the best of their ability and engaged in 

the business’ objectives. This process includes setting 

performance goals, enabling the team to perform and managing 

individuals when performance is off target. 

This interactive workshop is delivered over two days, one month 

apart. Day one will specifically focus on the development of the 

Supervisor in skills such as communication and delegation. Day two 

will focus on the skills needed by the Supervisor to maximise the 

performance of the individual team member. 

DAY 1 – STEP UP TO SUPERVISOR 

Day 1 Workshop aims to equip participants to become effective in 

their role by providing them with a fuller understanding of their role 

as well as practical skills in communication, planning, delegation and 

feedback skills. 

Topics Covered 

n The Role of the Supervisor – Role performance, 

behaviour and accountability 

n Communication Skills – Verbal, non-verbal and behavioural 

n Planning & Prioritising – Time, tasks, teams and self 

n Delegation Skills – Benefits, delegation continuum and how to 

n Performance Feedback Skills – Re-enforcing feedback 

and corrective feedback 

COURSE METHODOLOGY 

This highly interactive workshop delivered over two days (one day 

per month) uses group discussion, case studies and role plays 

specifically aimed at guiding participants through realistic pharmacy 

based scenarios to practise these vital skills. 

COURSE ASSESSMENT, QUALIFICATION 

AND PROGRESSION 

Participant assessment includes an Assignment and Action Plans 

specifically related to evaluating themselves against Management 

Competencies. Participants who successfully complete the 

Assignment and Action Plans can progress to the Award in 

Leadership & Management with the Institute of Leadership & 

Management (ILM) through the IPU. 

COURSE SCHEDULE, FEES & VENUE 

There are no formal entry requirements but participants will either be 

practising or aspiring supervisors or managers with the opportunity 

to meet the assessment demands and have a background that will 

enable them to benefit from the course. Participants must have 

access to a PC and be computer literate. The cost for this course 

is €495 for participants working for IPU Members; €795 for 

participants working for Non-Members. The courses will be held 

in Butterfield House, Dublin, starting at 9.30am on 16 February 

and 15 March 2016. 

DAY 2 – COACHING FOR PERFORMANCE 

Day 2 Workshop aims to equip participants with the necessary skills 

and attitude to develop and manage the performance of employees 

and to conduct a performance and development review in a 

professional and enthusiastic manner. 

Topics Covered 

n Performance Management – Defined, the Role of 

the Manager in Performance Management 

n Workplace Coaching – Defined, Coaching Skill, 

Setting Performance Objectives 

n Modelling, Managing and Monitoring Performance 

– Types of Performers, Feedback Skills 

n Performance and Development Review 

– Personal Development Planning, Rewarding 

and Recognising Performance 

70 


IPU Supervisory 

Development Course 

Pharmacy Details 

Pharmacy Name: 

Pharmacy Address: 

Telephone Number: 

Email: 

Student’s Details 

Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms: 

Forename(s): 

Date of Birth: 

Email: 

Special Dietary Requirements 

Surname: 

Mobile Number: 

Course Cost 

Cost for Part 1 and 2 is €495 to IPU Members; €795 to Non-Members. 

Course Dates 

Day 1 Tuesday 16 February 2016 – 9.30-17.00. Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 

Day 2 Tuesday 15 March 2016 – 9.30-17.00. Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 

Entry Requirements 

There are no formal entry requirements; however, participants will be either practising or aspiring supervisors or managers. 

Candidates must have access to a PC and be computer literate. 

Please Return Completed Form to: 

IPU Training Unit, Irish Pharmacy Union, Butterfield House, Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 with a cheque made 

payable to IPU Services Ltd. Payment is also accepted by credit or debit card on 01 493 6401.

STUDIES 

New survey data demonstrates a need for increased focus on 

‘the man behind the prostate cancer’ 

Astellas Pharma Europe Ltd., in partnership with the Every Moment Matters Steering Committee, has announced results from a new 

survey of men living with prostate cancer across Europe. The Every Voice Matters survey, which is the first and largest of its kind, 

provides an in-depth analysis and personal insight into the lives of 668 men living with the condition. In Ireland, the survey was 

conducted in partnership with the Irish Cancer Society and was completed by 20 men with prostate cancer. 

Of the men surveyed, 55% (n=11) had localised prostate cancer at diagnosis, 25% (n=5) had locally advanced disease and 10% 

(n=2) had metastatic prostate cancer. 

‘What Matters Most’? Day-to-day living. When asked what matters most since being diagnosed with prostate cancer, over half 

(n=11) of men highlight the importance of maintaining a good quality of life, living life to the full and being able to spend quality 

time with family and friends. These are more important than ‘being cured’ (n=4). 

Contributing to society. Beyond family, feeling well enough to be able to contribute to society is important for men with advanced 

prostate cancer. Almost three-quarters (n=13) of all survey respondents want to continue working as much as possible. 

The Every Moment Matters Steering Committee is calling for patients to have the confidence to discuss all aspects of disease 

impact with their doctors, including quality of life, to encourage more informed treatment discussions.” 

Not the end of intimacy. In Ireland, whilst almost three-quarters (n=13) of men feel they have lost some of their masculinity, 

around the same number (n=15) feel closer to their partner since their diagnosis. 

The role of healthcare professionals. Overall, men with prostate cancer feel that communication with their doctor is strong, with 

over half (n=17) receiving information about the stage of their disease and treatment options from their doctors and three quarters 

(n=15) agreeing they felt well-informed about the disease. However, there is still a reliance on doctors making treatment choices 

across Europe, with a quarter (n=5) of men feeling unable to influence their treatment choice with their doctor. 

Introducing the Every Moment Matters programme 

The Every Voice Matters survey forms part of the Every Moment Matters programme, which was launched in March by expert clinicians 

and patient group representatives at the EAU 2015 Congress in Madrid. The programme aims to raise the profile of advanced 

prostate cancer across Europe, with a focus on a patient’s holistic well-being during therapeutic decision-making to optimise 

patient outcomes. The Every Moment Matters Steering Committee will work collaboratively to encourage greater priority given to 

the disease. 

The Every Moment Matters website, www.everymomentmatters.eu hosts information on advanced prostate cancer, further results 

from the Every Voice Matters pan-European survey and four short films of men living with advanced prostate cancer around Europe 

discussing ‘What Matters Most’ to them. 

Janssen’s Vokanamet ® (canagliflozin and immediate release metformin 

hydrochloride fixed dose combination) reimbursed for the treatment 

of adults with type 2 diabetes 

Janssen has announced that Vokanamet ® (a fixed-dose therapy combining canagliflozin and immediate release metformin 

hydrochloride in a single tablet) is now available (since September) to Irish patients for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes 

mellitus to improve glycaemic control. 

Canagliflozin is an oral medication, which belongs to a new class of medications called sodium glucose co-transporter 2 

inhibitors. SGLT2 inhibitors contribute to controlling blood glucose levels via the kidney. Metformin is a first-line pharmacotherapy 

that can be used alone or with other medications, including insulin, to treat type 2 diabetes. 

The combination therapy, which is taken as a single pill twice daily, is indicated in adults aged 18 years and older with type 2 

diabetes mellitus to improve glycaemic control in: 

n patients not adequately controlled on their maximally tolerated doses of metformin alone; 

n patients on their maximally tolerated doses of metformin along with other glucose lowering medicinal products including 

insulin, when these do not provide adequate glycaemic control; 

n patients already being treated with the combination of canagliflozin and metformin as separate tablets. 

The European Commission’s approval of this fixed-dose therapy combining canagliflozin and immediate release metformin 

hydrochloride in a single tablet taken twice daily was based on significant portions of the comprehensive global Phase 3 

clinical development programme for canagliflozin single agent, including the studies with co-administration of metformin and 

canagliflozin as individual tablets. 

The Phase 3 programme evaluated the safety and efficacy of canagliflozin across the spectrum of type 2 diabetes and included 

placebo and active comparator controlled studies. Three studies have compared canagliflozin to current standard treatments, two 

of which compared canagliflozin to sitagliptin as dual therapy with metformin and the other as triple therapy with metformin and 

sulphonylurea. In addition there is a study comparing canagliflozin to glimepiride as dual therapy with metformin. The Phase 3 

programme also included two large studies in special populations: patients over age 55 with type 2 diabetes and patients with type 

2 diabetes who were considered to be at high risk for cardiovascular disease. 

72 


STUDIES 

Results from analyses of US real-world data with apixaban compared to other 

oral anticoagulants in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients presented at 

European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2015 

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer Healthcare Ireland announced results at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2015 

from five US real-world data retrospective analyses in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). The studies compared 

the risk of different bleeding related outcomes, including major bleeding and/or any bleeding, hospitalisation and bleeding-related 

30-day re-admissions in routine clinical practice setting for apixaban versus warfarin, rivaroxaban and dabigatran. Results have 

been adjusted in order to address differences in baseline demographic and clinical characteristics. 

In the three analyses that evaluated major bleeding, apixaban therapy was associated with a significantly lower risk of major 

bleeding compared to treatment with warfarin or rivaroxaban (specific to the different patient cohorts, definitions of major bleeding 

and studies’ timeframes). No significant differences in the risk of a major bleeding event were found between apixaban and 

dabigatran in these studies. 

Two analyses evaluated all-cause hospitalisation and bleeding-related 30-day readmissions respectively among NVAF patients 

newly initiated on anticoagulation therapy. In these analyses, treatment with apixaban was associated with a lower risk of all-cause 

hospitalisation as compared to treatment with rivaroxaban and dabigatran. Patients treated with apixaban were also less likely to 

experience a bleeding-related 30-day readmission compared to treatment with rivaroxaban. No significant difference was observed 

between NVAF patients initiated on apixaban and patients initiated on dabigatran in 30-day readmissions. 

More than 2 in 5 (42%) people believe that addiction or dependency 

is a lifestyle choice 

Research recently undertaken by One Step Clinic, a private outpatient addiction facility in Dublin 15, showed that six out of 10 

(59%) adults believe people who are addicted or dependent suffer from a chronic disease, however 42% still believe that it is a 

lifestyle choice and that people should be able to stop if they are willing to. 

The research also highlighted that more than one in two (56%) adults know someone with an addiction or dependency. Dr Hugh 

Gallagher, Medical Director, One Step Clinic commented, “addiction and dependency remains one of the most challenging public 

health policy issues of recent times. A huge concern is that while people believe the statistics about Ireland’s drug and alcohol 

problems, they do not believe that these relate to themselves. Unfortunately though, when they do try and seek help, there are 

limited resources out there to help them deal with their addiction.” 

The National Advisory Committee on Drugs and Alcohol (NACDA) recently released statistics that show that the usage of almost 

all kinds of illicit drugs here has increased during the last ten years. In 2003 lifetime use of any illegal drug stood at 18.5% of the 

population, but by 2011, the year of the most recent assessment, this had risen to 27.2%. The cost of addiction to the Irish economy 

is estimated at €850million. 

One Step Clinic offers an evidence-based, comprehensive, and effective treatment for those seeking recovery from all forms of 

addiction, substance or behaviour. It also offers a specialist online addiction counselling facility which allows clients to have their 

therapy session from their own home if they wish. A multidisciplinary team of addiction specialists including doctors, nurses, 

therapists and pharmacists work together to ensure each person receives the utmost in effective medical care. 

Medicines can play an important role in managing opiate or alcohol dependency but this is not widely known as the research 

showed that less than half of Irish adults (44%) were aware that they could be used in the treatment of addiction. 

One Step Clinic also has an agreement with Boots Pharmacies offering outpatient alcohol detox treatment nationwide which 

means that once medically assessed, people can withdraw from alcohol in the privacy and comfort of their own home. They are 

seen every day during their detoxification by the specially trained pharmacists and have on-call access to the Clinic’s medical team. 

93% of people surveyed associated ‘alcohol’ with the word addiction. “The growth in cannabis addiction is one that is very 

concerning” Dr Gallagher said, “as the drug is now engineered to be extremely potent. The impact on developing adolescent brains 

can be enormous with irreversible long-term effects. It can be difficult to reach young adults with this message but it is very 

important that there is a dedicated education programme to tackle this problem.” 

One Step Clinic also treat people who are addicted to prescription drugs, especially benzodiazepines (Valium) and codeine based 

painkillers as well as gaming, gambling, pornography and food disorders. The addiction landscape has changed over the last five 

years with more women and people over 50 presenting with addiction and dependency issues than ever before. “Services available 

across Ireland offering treatments are very limited as HSE addiction services primarily deals with opiate addiction. There is the 

added problem that mental health services have no remit to treat addiction resulting in difficulties especially for patients with a 

dual diagnosis accessing appropriate treatment,” Dr Gallagher concluded. 

BOOST YOUR PHARMACY 

SALES (WITHOUT OVER- 

STRETCHING YOUR BUDGET!) 



IPU Retail Banners 190X45 NEW ART.indd 3 20/10/2015 21:54 


STUDIES 

Research breakthrough could lead to better prostate cancer treatment 

Cancer researchers from the University of Glasgow and Royal Philips Cancer researchers have identified a gene which could help 

doctors to predict the aggressiveness of prostate cancer in patients. 

Their research, reported in the current edition of the British Journal of Cancer, could lead to more effective personalised treatment 

for prostate cancer and significantly reduce the number of unnecessary prostate cancer surgeries. 

The paper, titled ‘Human phosphodiesterase 4D7 (PDE4D7) expression is increased in TMPRSS2-ERG-positive primary prostate 

cancer and independently adds to a reduced risk of post-surgical disease progression’, is published in the British Journal of Cancer 

and is available at http://ow.ly/UNqu9. 

Trinity scientists homing in on new Hepatitis C Vaccine 

Trinity College Dublin researchers have commenced a major new study to evaluate a new vaccine for the prevention of Hepatitis C 

infection in HIV patients, who are at increased risk of contracting the common infection. 

Around 180 million people worldwide and an estimated 20,000 to 50,000 people in Ireland have Hepatitis C. It is a blood borne 

viral infection which is spread through direct contact with the blood of an infected individual and can lead to fibrosis (scarring of 

the liver), liver failure and cancer. Currently, there is no effective vaccine available for Hepatitis C and treatment is costly, often in 

the region of €50,000 per individual. Treatment is also lengthy, associated with side effects and is not 100% effective. 

Numerous recent outbreaks of Hepatitis C in HIV-infected individuals internationally have highlighted the urgent need for 

a vaccine to prevent infection. HIV-infected individuals are at increased risk of Hepatitis C infection due to similar routes of 

acquisition. Hepatitis C infection also progresses more rapidly to liver damage in HIV-infected individuals. Approximately 20-30% of 

people with HIV are co-infected with Hepatitis C. 

The research team is evaluating the safety and the ability of a new vaccine to produce an immune response against Hepatitis C. 

Previous healthy volunteer studies in the University of Oxford have shown encouraging results. If effective, this vaccine could also 

be made available to other high risk groups such as intravenous drug users. 

The study, which is the first phase-1 vaccine study in HIV infected people in Ireland, is also the first of a planned number of 

early intervention studies to be carried out in the Wellcome Trust-HRB Clinical Research Facility, a joint enterprise between Trinity 

College Dublin and St James’ Hospital. 

It will run for 20 months and will follow 20 patients in Dublin and St Gallen, Switzerland. Patients will be given two vaccines, 

eight weeks apart and then followed closely to assess safety and the development of immune responses to Hepatitis C following 

vaccination. The vaccines being tested in this study are called AdCh3NSmut1 and MVA-NSmut and have been developed by 

ReiThera Srl and GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA. 

This study is the result of collaboration between the University of Oxford, Kantonsspital, St. Gallen and GlaxoSmithKline 

Biologicals SA and has been funded by an EU Seventh Framework Program (FP7) grant. 

IPU Yearbook 

& Diary 

2016 

The IPU Yearbook and Diary is the key information and reference publication for pharmacists, pharmaceutical companies, 

health professionals, and health officials, as well as providing financial, insurance and other service supplier details. 

The cost of the Yearbook is €60 including post and packing, with a 10% discount for 5 or more copies. 

Company Name: 

Address: 

Number of copies required: 

Purchase Order No: 

If your company uses a Purchase Order system, please ensure that the 

PO number is provided when ordering copies of the Yearbook. 

Please return order to: 

Irish Pharmacy Union, Butterfield House, Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14, D14 E126. 

Telephone: 01 493 6401. Fax: 01 493 6626. Email: yearbook@ipu.ie 

74 


INTERNATIONAL NEWS Roisin Molloy, 

Membership & Secretary General’s Office Manager, IPU 

International 

pharmacy news 

US 

Walgreens 

Boots Alliance 

to purchase 

Rite Aid 

Walgreens Boots Alliance, the 

US drugstore chain’s parent 

company, said it would buy 

its smaller competitor, 

Rite Aid, for $17.2 billion, 

including debt. 

The acquisition, which is 

likely to face heavy scrutiny 

from US regulators, would 

result in a drugstore chain 

with 12,800 locations, barring 

closings and divestitures. That 

would make it much bigger 

than CVS Health, which runs 

the second largest chain by 

store count, with about 8,000 

locations. CVS is in the process 

of buying Target’s 1,700 

pharmacies. 

Walgreens revealed in 

regulatory filings that its 

contract with Rite Aid allowed 

for the divestiture or closing of 

up to 1,000 stores, though the 

company said it expected the 

total to be less than half that 

amount. Walgreens runs about 

8,200 stores, with locations in 

each state, while Rite Aid has 

about 4,600 stores in 31 states. 

The National Community 

Pharmacists’ Association 

(NCPA) CEO, B. Douglas 

Hoey, issued the followng 

statement in response to 

the announcement that 

Walgreens Boots Alliance 

would purchase Rite Aid: “This 

merger would create an entity 

with approximately 12,000 

retail pharmacies. That’s 

nearly 20 percent of the brick 

and mortar pharmacies in the 

US. 

“NCPA is evaluating 

the impact of the merged 

company on pharmacy 

small business owners and 

the patients they serve. At a 

minimum, regulators should 

closely scrutinise this merger, 

particularly in regions of 

high concentration of their 

pharmacies. 

“While large chain 

pharmacies continue to merge 

to increase their negotiating 

leverage, independent 

community pharmacies 

continue to fill gaps in patient 

care in rural, urban, and 

underserved communities. 

These independent 

community pharmacies will 

also continue to stand out for 

their sterling customer service 

and for providing a range of 

niche health care services to 

meet patient needs.” 

Source: www.ncpanet.org/ 

www.fortune.com 

Wales 

Royal 

Pharmaceutical 

Society Wales 

calls for access 

to patient 

records 

The Royal Pharmaceutical 

Society (RPS) has launched 

its Policy Vision for Wales, a 

blueprint for how pharmacists 

can help patients and 

strengthen NHS Wales over 

the next five years. 

Ahead of the Assembly 

Elections in May 2016, Steps to 

Better Health and Wellbeing calls 

upon policy makers to commit 

to harnessing the skills of 

the pharmacy profession to 

improve patient care at a time 

when there are real pressures 

on GPs and hospital services. 

The Policy Vision was 

launched at a conference 

to discuss how the NHS is 

improving medicines safety, 

with key note speeches from 

Vaughan Gething, Welsh 

Government Deputy Minister 

for Health, and representatives 

from across NHS Wales. 

The Policy Vision has three 

calls to action for the next 

five years: 

n To establish a pharmacy 

led Welsh Chronic 

Medication Service 

n To permit pharmacist 

access to individual 

health records 

n To fully integrate 

pharmacist 

expertise into NHS 

multidisciplinary teams 

The policy document 

outlines that, by allowing 

pharmacist access to patient 

health records, with patient 

consent, it will help improve 

care and make for better 

informed decisions, especially 

out of hours. Patients with 

chronic conditions could 

be better supported as 

pharmacists would be able to 

review their medicines with 

the full picture about their 

health. This will not only 

reduce medicines-related 

emergency admissions to 

hospital, but will reduce 

pressure in GPs surgeries. 

Suzanne Scott-Thomas, 

Chair of RPS Wales, said: “Our 

members – pharmacists from 

across Wales on every high 

street and in every hospital 

– have highlighted these 

three critical asks that could 

lead to a step change in the 

way people access health 

advice and support in their 

own community, whilst also 

ensuring a seamless service. 

“People are less worried 

about structures, professions 

and bureaucracy than they 

are about getting a good local 

service and knowing that the 

health team that supports 

them can share information 

to make things simple and 

safe for them. So we welcome 

positive moves from our 

partner professions across the 

NHS in Wales to work together 

to better share patient data 

with pharmacists, a vital step 

for the coming years.” 

Vaughan Gething, Welsh 

Government Deputy Minister 

for Health, said: “The Welsh 

Government recognises 

that pharmacists need the 

right tools to do their jobs 

effectively – one of these 

is access to the individual 

patient record. We are 

exploring how pharmacists 

can access this record when 

patients have given their 

consent.” 

Source: www.rpharms.com 


WINE James Tobin, WSET Certified Wine Educator, O’Briens Wines 

A new twist 

on the 

Christmas 

at any other 

ClassicsMore than 

time of year, when it comes 

to choosing wines for the 

Christmas dinner table, we 

tend to opt for the security 

of classic pairings and 

with good reason. 

People have been 

enjoying these side 

by side for centuries 

now as they 

often prove to be 

exceptionally good matches. 

However, if you are prepared 

to be a little more adventurous 

and try some sideways 

experimentation with wines 

which share some similar 

traits with the traditional 

choice you will be rewarded 

with some really interesting 

and particularly delicious food 

and wine pairings. 

I think you will find that all 

of the wines I have chosen 

below will offer a refreshing 

change from the norm, 

without straying too far out of 

the comfort zone. 

To start, I am going to look 

at some bubbles for serving 

as an aperitif. We drink more 

sparkling wine at Christmas 

than at any other time of year 

and Prosecco can justifiably 

claim to be Ireland’s favourite 

fizz; in fact I was not at all 

surprised with the palpable 

sense of panic in the air this 

summer, when suggestions of 

a possible Prosecco shortage 

first hit the headlines. 

76 


Thankfully, 2015 

was an exceptionally 

good vintage in 

the Veneto region, 

where Prosecco is 

produced and so 

that particularly 

first-world crisis 

has been averted. 

If I had to pick just 

one Prosecco, it 

would definitely be 

Rizzardi Spumante 

(€17.99 down from 

€20.99), a stunning 

example from a 

premium producer. With the 

perfect balance of ripe pear 

fruit and fine crisp 

backbone this wine 

is a treat. 

For a change 

though, why not 

try L’Extra par 

Langlois (€17.99 

down from €19.99), 

which is a brand 

new cuvée from the 

Bollinger-owned 

Langlois-Chateau. 

This wonderfully 

crisp and refreshing 

Crémant de Loire is 

made with a blend 

of Chardonnay and Chenin 

Blanc and, at this price, there 

is no need to save it just for 

special occasions. 

Moving on to the meal itself, 

as an accompaniment for 

smoked salmon or a seafood 

starter, the classic 

choice would be 

Champagne and 

Blanc de Blancs 

Champagne in 

particular. A wine 

of truly astonishing 

quality, Beaumont 

des Crayéres Fleur 

Blanche also offers 

incredible value for 

money at €47.00. The 

aromas and flavours 

are of brioche ripe 

apple and a wonderfully 

complex melody of floral 

notes. 

However, if you look to 

New Zealand’s Waiheke 

Island, you will find that 

Man O’War Vineyard’s 

Tulia (€37.00) is an 

extraordinary, highlysophisticated 

sparkling 

wine also made 

exclusively from the 

Chardonnay grape. 

Incredibly rich and 

toasty with ripe golden 

fruit, honey and some 

exotic fruit notes, this is one of 

the most interesting sparkling 

wines I’ve ever tasted. 

Unoaked or lightly oaked 

white Burgundy has graced 

many a Christmas dinner 

table and is certainly a very 

good option for a white wine 

to carry you right the way 

through the meal. 

My own choice 

would be something 

like Château Fuissé 

Pouilly-Fuissé ‘Tete 

de Cru’ (€27.99 down 

from €31.99). From the 

southern limits of the 

Burgundy region, this is 

a sublime Chardonnay, 

complex and full 

flavoured and marked 

with the Château’s 

renowned minerality. 

This is easily one of the 

most keenly priced fine 

Burgundies being made today. 

If we venture a little 

further South though, to the 

Languedoc, we could try the 

delicious Domaine Begude 

Terroir ‘11300’ (€17.99). 

Made with 

organically-grown 

fruit, ‘11300’ refers 

to the postcode of 

the cool climate 

region of Limoux, 

where this deliciously 

refreshing and delicate 

Chardonnay comes 

from. With zesty citrus 

freshness, coupled 

with apple and pear 

notes; fine structure 

and pleasing minerality, 

this wine is great with 

roast turkey but also 

works equally well as an 

elegant aperitif. 

For the main course, 

I think it’s fair to 

assume most of us will 

be sitting down to the 

traditional turkey. 

When it comes to 

matching a red 

wine to turkey, the 

advice generally 

leads us towards 

Pinot Noir and, if I were 

going to treat myself to 

a Pinot, I would look no 

further than Seguin- 

Manuel’s Savignyles-Beaune 

Laviéres 

1er Cru (€37.00). This 

supremely elegant 

wine has a richness 

and structure 

to it, which is 

beautifully balanced 

with juicy raspberry 

fruit and fresh pure 

acidity. 

For a really 

interesting 

alternative, I 

would go with 

Alta Mora Etna 

Rosso (€22.99), 

which is a 

delicious aromatic 

red made on 

the slopes of 

Mount Etna. Sharing 

many similarities 

with a Nebbiolo or 

Pinot Noir, this 100% 

Nerello Mascalese 

has wonderfully 

concentrated cherry 

fruit along with some 

herby notes, soft smooth 

tannins and vibrant 

acidity, all of which 

makes it a perfect choice 

for the big day. 

We now find ourselves 

at the end of the meal 

and that probably means 

a bottle of Port will find 

its way onto the table. I 

really like the Late 

Bottled Vintage 

style and one of my 

favourites is the 

Duorum LBV (€22.99 

down from €25.99). 

It is intensely fruity 

and spicy, yet thanks 

to being at the drier 

end of the spectrum, 

it remains 

an extremely 

elegant Port. 

This is a 

wine with 

great ageing 

potential, but it is ready 

to drink now. 

Lately though, I find 

myself drawn to the Vin 

Doux Naturals from the 

south of France when 

looking for a wine to 

serve with the cheese 

course. 

What I find so 

appealing about these 

wines is that, even though 

they are made in a very 

similar way to Ports, they are 

fortified to a much lower 

level of alcohol, which 

makes them much 

easier to enjoy without 

having to worry about 

dozing off at the dinner 

table! 

Gérard Bertrand’s 

Rivesaltes (€23.99 

down from €27.99) is 

a superbly 

complex, 

developed 

tawny wine, 

pronounced 

aromas of 

hazelnut, figs 

and dates lift from 

the glass. On the 

palate it is syrupy 

and incredibly 

smooth awash with 

those same nutty, 

raisiny characters. 

This is a superb 

alternative to Port 

and an ideal match 

for Stilton or St. Agur. 

*All wines are available at 

O’Briens stores nationwide or 

online at www.wine.ie and the 

prices shown are valid right 

through December. 


NEWS 

Minister for Health 

announces major package 

of patient safety reforms 

Minister for Health Leo 

Varadkar has announced 

a major package of patient 

safety reforms including 

plans to simplify the 

complaints procedure, 

enhance the powers of the 

Ombudsman and HIQA, and 

a tranche of patient safety 

legislation. In addition, 

he is collaborating with 

Frances Fitzgerald, Minister 

for Justice and Equality, on 

measures to reduce the time 

taken for a legal action to 

be resolved and to reform 

methods of compensation 

payments. 

The measures also include 

plans for an annual national 

patient experience survey, 

the creation of a National 

Patient Safety Office and a 

patient advocacy service to 

provide advice and detect 

worrying patient safety 

trends in healthcare. They 

were agreed at Cabinet and 

formally announced by the 

Minister at the Fifth National 

Patient Safety Conference. 

Minister Varadkar said: 

“Patient safety should be at 

the heart of everything we do 

as a health service. Although 

progress has been made in 

some areas, there have been 

some very high-profile and 

tragic exceptions, which have 

damaged public confidence 

in the health service. That’s 

why we have prepared the 

most wide-ranging package 

of patient safety measures in 

Irish history. 

Pictured above at the Fifth National Patient Safety Conference are (L-R): Tony O’Brien, Director General of the HSE; Dr 

Kathleen MacLellan, Director of Patient Safety and Clinical Effectiveness, Dept of Health; Helen Crisp, UK Health Foundation; 

Dr Colm Henry, National Clinical Advisor and Programme Lead for Acute Hospitals, HSE; Minister Varadkar; Professor Mary 

Dixon-Woods, University of Leicester, UK; and Mr Patrick Lynch, National Director Quality Assurance and Verification, HSE. 

“For patients and their 

relatives, the experience of 

making a complaint can be 

bewildering. We will simplify 

the complaints process and 

look to extend the powers 

of the Ombudsman to 

cover clinical issues. Open 

Disclosure, where healthcare 

professionals are open and 

transparent with a patient 

following an adverse incident, 

will be supported through 

legislation. The National 

Patient Safety Office will help 

to drive the overall patient 

safety agenda. All these 

initiatives should put the 

patient first, improve their 

experience of the health 

service, reduce harm and 

reduce costs, and ultimately 

save lives.” 

Details 

The general patient safety 

measures include: 

n Simplify the complaints 

process and look to 

extending the remit of 

the Ombudsman across 

the health service in 

consultation with the 

Department of Public 

Expenditure and Reform 

and other interested 

parties; 

n Run ongoing Patient 

Safety Campaigns with 

defined safety targets 

such as reducing 

medication errors; 

n Set up a National 

Patient Safety Office 

in the Department of 

Health to report directly 

to the Minister, oversee 

the programme of 

patient safety measures 

and advise the HSE, 

HIQA and health 

professional regulatory 

bodies on patient 

safety issues; 

n The Patient Safety 

Office will be guided 

by an independent 

Advisory Council, 

established through 

public invitation from 

the Public Appointments 

Service. This will advise 

the Office, publish 

independent patient 

safety reports prompted 

by safety information, 

and act as an earlywarning 

mechanism; 

n Implement the Code of 

Conduct for Health & 

Social Care Providers. 

78 


NEWS 

Ministers Coveney 

and Varadkar 

welcome European 

Antibiotics 

Awareness Day 

2015 and the first 

World Antibiotic 

Awareness Week 

The Minister for Agriculture, 

Food and the Marine, Simon 

Coveney TD, and the Minister 

for Health, Leo Varadkar 

TD, marked European 

Antibiotics Awareness Day 

and the inaugural World 

Antibiotics Awareness Week 

by reaffirming their crossgovernment 

commitment 

to tackling the issue of 

Antimicrobial Resistance 

(AMR). 

Both Ministers welcomed 

the awareness initiatives as a 

means of drawing attention to 

the continued global concern 

in relation to Antimicrobial 

Resistance and its potential 

threat to human and animal 

health, as well as the 

challenges to food security 

and the environment. In 

particular, the Ministers said 

that they wished to highlight 

the increased worldwide 

reach of the campaign to raise 

awareness in relation to AMR 

which has seen the launching 

of the first World Antibiotics 

Awareness Week. 

Commenting on the 

complexity of the issue, the 

Ministers said that, “given 

that AMR is recognised as 

a global health issue, it is 

generally accepted that no 

individual sector can hope 

to address it in isolation. All 

of the major international 

plans support a “One Health” 

agenda urging collaboration 

across the human, veterinary 

and environmental sectors. 

The One Health approach 

acknowledges that there 

needs to be a co-ordinated 

response from the public 

health, animal health and 

environmental sectors, 

including other stakeholders 

in the private and public 

sectors.” 

Concluding, the Ministers 

said: “Both Departments will 

continue to engage in efforts 

to preserve the effectiveness 

of current antibiotics 

through prudent use and 

stewardship programmes as 

well as promoting infection 

prevention strategies.” 

UCC Prize-giving 

Ceremony 

The ninth Annual UCC Pharmacy Prize-giving ceremony 

for the 2015 graduating class took place in the School of 

Pharmacy in late October. Actavis Ireland was delighted 

to present the Prize for excellence in Clinical Pharmacy 

to Ms Sinead O’Mahony. 

Sinead is pictured with Professor Stephen Byrne, Head of School of Pharmacy, 

UCC, and Marguerite Tierney, Product Manager, Actavis Ireland. 

Dates now available for 

Quality Improvement in 

the Supply of High Risk 

Medicines Workshops 

The IIOP has announced a series of Quality Improvement in the 

Supply of High Risk Medicines Workshops. These workshops are 

provided by iaCME and will take place at the Irish Management 

Institute in Sandyford in Dublin. The three available dates for 

the face-to-face workshop are: 

n Friday 11 December 2015 

n Friday 22 January 2016 

n Friday 19 February 2016 

The one-day face-to-face training programme focuses on the 

application of learnings from the online Managing Quality in 

Pharmacy Practice course, which is available on the IIOP website. 

Only after this online component has been completed will 

instructions for accessing the face to face workshop be provided. 

The online course will take approximately four hours to 

complete and does not need to be completed in one sitting. 

Places on all three face-to-face workshops are limited and 

early booking is advised. 


NEWS 

PSI Registrar to 

take up senior 

position in the 

Department 

of Health 

The Registrar and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Society of 

Ireland (PSI), Marita Kinsella, has been appointed to a senior 

role in the Department of Health and is stepping down from 

her role in the PSI. 

Ms Kinsella, a pharmacist and barrister and a native of 

Co Carlow, will take up responsibility this month in the 

Department of Health’s Acute Hospitals Policy division. 

Speaking on behalf of the Council of the PSI, President Dr 

Ann Frankish said: “We are immensely grateful to Marita for 

her dedication and contribution to the work of the PSI, most 

recently as Registrar and also in her previous roles with the 

organisation. She has led this organisation through a time 

of significant developments and challenges, ensuring that 

our activities, whether in the area of pharmacist education, 

practice development or pharmacy standards, have always 

centred on the interest of the patient and wider public. She 

has ensured solid strategic and operational direction of an 

organisation with growing responsibilities and staff and 

maintained and developed strong relationships with our 

vital network of stakeholders; patient organisations, policymakers, 

pharmacists and other regulators. We wish her every 

success in her new role with the Department, which is one of 

its most challenging jobs.” 

Ms Kinsella said: “I would like to thank Council members, 

past and present and staff for their support and commitment 

to the organisation and its goals during my time with the PSI. 

I am very proud of how the organisation has evolved and put 

in place a regulatory system that supports patient health and 

safety. As a pharmacist, I am also proud of how the pharmacy 

profession continues to provide high quality services to 

patients and has risen to the challenges introduced under 

the Pharmacy Act in 2007. The responsibilities of the PSI are 

broad and very varied and it 

has been my pleasure to work 

with such talented and engaged 

people, both within and beyond 

this organisation, in carrying out 

those functions.” 

An Acting Registrar will lead 

the organisation on Marita’s 

departure and a competition 

in conjunction with the Public 

Appointments Service to appoint 

a permanent replacement to the 

role will commence next year. 

Guidance for providers of health 

and social care services for children 

Communicating in plain English with children 

and their families 

HIQA publishes 

guidance aimed 

at improving 

communication in 

health and social 

care services 

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has 

published Communicating in Plain English to offer guidance 

for providers of health and social care services. 

Safety issues can occur when service providers do not use 

language that is easily understood by patients or because 

patients may be overwhelmed by the amount of information 

given to them. According to the National Adult Literacy Agency 

(NALA), one in six people in Ireland have a literacy difficulty, 

finding reading and understanding everyday texts difficult. 

HIQA, in conjunction with NALA, has developed two 

guides to help health and social care providers communicate 

effectively with all those using their services. To support these 

guides HIQA has also released a short educational video which 

explains the concept of using plain English in practice. 

The documents can be found online at: www.hiqa.ie > 

News & Publications > Press Releases. 

80 


PRODUCT INFORMATION 

Altavita D3: Not your 

everyday Vitamin D3 

Consilient Health Ireland Ltd. has launched Altavita D3, 

which is a licensed vitamin D preparation available in 25,000 

IU oral solution single dose 1ml ampoules. It is indicated for 

(1) Prevention and treatment of vitamin D deficiency; and (2) 

Adjunct to specific therapy for osteoporosis in patients with 

vitamin D deficiency, or at risk of vitamin D insufficiency. 

Suitable for males and females of all ages, it provides a 

regimen that delivers doses of vitamin D3 that are consistent 

with the National Osteoporosis Society Guidelines and the 

Endocrine Society Guidelines. It is suitable for vegetarians and 

for patients with a wide range of intolerances and allergies as it 

is gluten-free, nut-free, lactose-free and soya-free. 

Altavita D3 is reimbursed under the General Medical and 

Drug Community Scheme from 1 November 2015. 

For further information go to www.altavita.ie or contact your 

Consilient Health Representative at on 01 205 7760. 

Rivastigmine 

Actavis 1.5mg 

and 3mg Capsules 

discontinued items 

Actavis has discontinued Rivastigmine Actavis 1.5mg 

Capsules and Rivastigmine 3mg Capsules. 

For further information contact Marguerite 

Tierney, Actavis on 021 461 9043 / 

marguerite.tierney@actavis.com. 

Cleanmarine focus on 

men’s health for New Year 

Dave Kearney will front an extensive New Year 

promotional campaign for Cleanmarine ® Krill Oil for 

Men. This follows the recent post-launch activity in 

September and October. 

Formulated by the Naturalife team in Wicklow, this 

unique supplement is a blend of vitamins (D3, B1, 

B2 and B6), minerals (CoQ10 and Zinc) and essential 

fatty acids (omega 3). 

Professional rugby player Dave agreed to sample 

the combined omega 3 and multivitamin capsule 

having received the thumbs-up to do so from the 

Irish squad’s team of nutritionists. Now acting as 

Brand Ambassador he will feature prominently in 

the upcoming Cleanmarine “It’s Men’s Health Made 

Easy” campaign. Details of the New Year advertising 

and PR activities will be unveiled to each stockist by 

their Naturalife sales representative. 

Darragh Hammond, MD of Naturalife is very 

appreciative of the support Cleanmarine has 

received from Irish pharmacists. “We are truly 

grateful to the many pharmacists who support our 

efforts to promote a healthier lifestyle.” 

For further information contact your Naturalife 

representative, or telephone 0404 62444. 

New Mobiflex 

30 pack now 

available from 

Clonmedica 

Mobiflex tablets are now available in packs of 

30. This new pack offers a one month treatment 

to the consumer at a more attractive price 

point. There is also a money-off coupon in the 

new 30 packs with €2 off the next purchase, 

to incentivise the consumer to continue to 

use Mobiflex for the minimum recommended 

period of two months. 

Mobiflex is a food supplement which contains 

undenatured type II collagen, Manganese and 

Vitamin C which help to maintain healthy, 

flexible joints. 

Collagen is a protein found in all structures 

of the body. There are various types of collagen. 

Mobiflex contains 10mg of undenatured type II 

collagen, the main protein found in cartilage. 

Cartilage is a special type of connective tissue 

whose main role is to reduce friction between 

moving joints. Vitamin C contributes to normal 

collagen formation for the good function of 

cartilage and bones. Manganese contributes to 

the maintenance of normal bones and to the 

good formation of connective tissue. 

Contact your Clonmedica representative for 

more information. 


CLASSIFIEDS 

PHARMACIST 

REQUIRED 

3/4 days per week maternity cover. 

McElwee Pharmacy, Portlaoise, Co. Laois. 

Contact Peter on 087 224 5918 or email 

petermcelwee@mcelweepharmacy.ie. 

MIDLANDS – STARTUP 

PHARMACY OPPORTUNITY 

Ideal Opportunity for Young Enthusiastic Pharmacist 

to establish a new business in an ideal location. 

Long term lease available in established 

GP-owned medical development. 

Expressions of Interest to info@ 

primaryprojectmanagement.ie 

McPOLIN GROUP, DUBLIN 

Supervising Pharmacist and Experienced Technician required 

Please call 086 153 6655 for further details or forward 

your C.V. to Paul.mcpolinpharmacies@gmail.com 

PHARMACY FOR SALE. Well established and profitable 

pharmacy in South Dublin City Centre for sale. Principals only 

Reply in the strictest confidence to Box No 815. 

PHARMACY FOR SALE. Long established and profitable family 

run pharmacy in the North Leinster region for sale. Principals 

only. Reply in the strictest confidence to Box No 715. 

YOUNG PHARMACIST WISHES TO PURCHASE PHARMACY 

IN LEINSTER. Has his own deposit and approval in principle 

from the bank. Will consider €1m and over turnover. 

ABC Advert JULY2014.pdf 1 28/07/2014 14:41 

Replies to Box No 615. 

PHARMACIST 

REQUIRED 

– may suit newly qualified. 

Full time position at Peter Fox 

totalhealth Pharmacy, Birr, Co Offaly. 

Contact Peter on 086 825 2737 or email C.V. to 

info@peterfoxpharmacy.ie 

FOR SALE 

Two electronic tills, dispensing computer (large screen, 

12 months old), printers, passport photo machine. All in 

good condition. All with McLernon system & warranty 

(5 months left). The lot new €10k, sell for €4,500 or nearest. 

Call 086 410 2866 or email pharm01@yahoo.com 

SUPPORT PHARMACIST 

REQUIRED: CLONMEL 

Full time Position with flexible terms and conditions. 

Apply to: quirkespharmacy@eircom.net 

TO ADVERTISE HERE, 

PLEASE CALL WENDY 

ON 01 493 6401 

ALL BOX NUMBER REPLIES SHOULD BE POSTED TO: 

Irish Pharmacy Union, Butterfield House, 

Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. 

This independent service is free to IPU members. 

Entries will be deleted after three months. 

Advertisements should be forwarded to: 

Wendy McGlashan, IPU, Butterfield House, 

Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. 

Tel: (01) 493 6401. Fax: (01) 493 6626. 


C 

ABC 

STOCKTAKING SERVICES 

M 

Y 

CM 

MY 

PHARMACY SPECIALISTS | SAME DAY AUDITABLE REPORTS 

LIVE STOCK INTEGRATION WITH: 

CY 

CMY 

K 

44 Church Street, Tullamore, Co. Offaly Phone/Fax 057 93 20045 

Alan Daly – Director 087 2666431 Darren Donoghue – Manager 086 3809082 

82 


CLASSIFIEDS 

Sam McCauley Chemist Group have vacancies for the following positions in 

Wexford 

SUPERVISING PHARMACIST 

An excellent opportunity for a full-time Supervising 

Pharmacist for a thriving and established pharmacy 

in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. Candidates must have 

a strong professional ethos and commercial savvy. 

Opportunity to work with great support systems 

and cutting-edge technology. 

PHARMACIST 

Self-motivated Pharmacist required full-time for 

Wexford area. Previous retail pharmacy experience 

is essential. Applicants should be efficient, 

well-organised, accurate, customer-focused and 

have a good work ethic. 

Contact Mark at Sam McCauley Chemists – Tel (087) 992 9146 or email human.resources@smcc.ie 

www.sammccauley.com 

Professional Indemnity 

Insurance for Pharmacists 

PHARMACY 

ACQUISITIONS 

SEMINAR 

To register your interest email 

seminar@fitzgeraldpower.ie or 

call 051 870152 

Thursday 

25 th 

February 2016 

Citywest Hotel, 

Dublin 

We are representing you, the Pharmacist, 

and not one Insurance Company. We have 

a panel of Insurance Companies offering 

competitive and flexible packages to suit 

each Pharmacist’s retail needs 

We want to tailor a Retail Package that suits 

each Pharmacy’s specific needs, bolt it on 

to our Best in Class Professional Indemnity 

Policy and provide complete cover for the 

lowest possible price. 

O’CALLAGHAN 

INSURANCES 

Dundalk Office: 042-935 9004 

Navan Office: 046-902 1855 

Monaghan Office: 047-64998 

O’Callaghan Insurances Ltd., T/A O’Callaghan Insurances, 

is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. 

● Professional Indemnity Insurance 

written on a ‘Claims-Made’ basis 

(€10m Limit of Indemnity). 

● P.I. cover includes all Pharmacists, 

Locums, Nurses and Beauticians. 

● Legal Defence for Licence Appeals 

(€150,000 per incident), Employment 

Disputes and Compensation and 

Legal Defence costs. 

● 

when you retire or sell your business. 

Rachel Dixon 

Corporate Account 

T: (DD) 042 935 9032 

E: rachel.dixon@oci.ie 

O’Callaghan Insurances t/a O’Callaghan Insurances is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland 

PHARMACY FOR 

SALE – FREEHOLD 

This is a great opportunity for a pharmacist wanting to acquire a 

profitable well established pharmacy business, with consistent 

turnover. The business, established in 1983, is coming available 

due to retirement. It is situated in the centre of a picturesque 

village less than 7 miles from Limerick City close to M7/N7. 

Contact Claire on 085157 3756 or 

email claire.sloan2@btinternet.com 

Get ready to buy or sell 

a pharmacy 

PHARMACIES 

WANTED – 

LEINSTER REGION 

We are an Irish Pharmacy group and are actively seeking 

multiple outlets, both freehold and leasehold expansion 

opportunities. With reducing margins and increased regulatory 

burdens now is the ideal time to sell by taking advantage of 

the new reduced capital gains tax rate. All negotiations or sale 

agreements reached would be carried out quickly and with 

complete confidentiality. 

If you are considering selling or thinking about retiring 

please contact Paul on 048 3083 3444 or reply in the 

strictest confidence to pharmaoffice38@gmail.com. 


Wishing all our valued customers a 

very Merry Christmas & a Prosperous New Year 

from all the team at Actavis 

Your Preferred Partner for Transparency, Consistency, Value & Control 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT YOUR LOCAL KEY ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE 

John MacHale 

M: 086 884 1114 

E: John.MacHale@actavis.com 

Cork, Kerry, Limerick, 

Waterford, Kilkenny 

Richard Doherty 

M: 087 667 1725 

E: Richard.Doherty@actavis.com 

Clare, Donegal, Galway, Tipperary, 

Mayo, Offaly, Sligo 

Paul Kenny 

M: 087 361 6027 

E: Paul.kenny2@actavis.com 

North Co. Dublin, Cavan, Longford, 

Leitrim, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, 

Roscommon, Westmeath 

Louise Mooney 

M: 086 044 3956 

E: Louise.Mooney@actavis.com 

South Co. Dublin, Carlow, Kildare, 

Laois Wexford, Wicklow 

Our innovative pack replacement model, offers you the best 

margins & value across our portfolio. www.actavis.ie Date of Preparation: November NA-062-01

preelection

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?