Tuesday, September 1, 2026

8:00 AM - 8:45 AM

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Details

Moderators: Chairs to be confirmed Programme: Overview MOTU-0101 - Leveraging pharmacists’ training to meet patient needs in Canada Pharmacy practice is changing rapidly around the globe, yet pharmacists continue to face inconsistent recognition of their education, skills and potential impact across health systems. In Canada, pharmacists undergo extensive training with rigorous education and clinical competencies rooted in Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programmes. Despite this, variations in provincial regulatory frameworks continue to limit pharmacists how fully they can apply their training to support patients, depending on the jurisdiction in which they practice. This session will focus on the development of National Benchmark for Pharmacy Practice, an evidence-based framework that outlines the full range of services pharmacists are educated and trained to provide. This session will be delivered as an interactive presentation followed by a facilitated discussion. We will begin by outlining the rationale behind the Benchmark, its five key areas of practice and its implications for regulatory reform and health-care system transformation. Through a guided discussion, participants will gain insight into how this framework can be applied to gain support policy change, advance the profession and improve patient outcomes. Using Canada’s National Benchmark as an illustrative example, participants will explore how clearly defining pharmacists’ competencies can support advocacy efforts toward enabling pharmacists to practice to the full extent of their education and training and enhance access to care. MOTU-0102 – Implementation of pharmacist prescribing in Irish community pharmacy practice The healthcare landscape in Ireland is changing. An increasing population and changing demographics, coupled with rising levels of co-morbidity and polypharmacy mean innovative approaches to care are required. In 2023, the Minister for Health in Ireland, established an Expert Taskforce to support the expansion of the role of pharmacists in Ireland. Following detailed deliberations, the Taskforce published a recommendation to enable pharmacist prescribing over the coming years. Implementation of this recommendation has commenced with the introduction of the Common Conditions Service. Design and development of the service was supported by an Implementation Oversight Group comprising multiple stakeholders and chaired by the Department of Health. The Common Conditions Service enables community pharmacists to manage eight common conditions by offering self-care advice, safety-netting, and, when appropriate, supplying certain over the counter (OTC) medicine(s) and prescribing prescription-only medicine(s) (POMs) through established protocols. To support community pharmacists to successfully implement the service the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) developed a range of resources including: •  An online portal with information and links to support delivery in practice; •  Operational support (webinars, guidance documents); •  Structured Pharmacist Assessment Forms (PAFs); and •  A training programme for pharmacy support staff. In this session we will share an overview of recent policy developments that have led to an expansion of the scope of practice of community pharmacists in Ireland; describe the work of the Implementation Oversight Group to Support the Expansion of the Role of Pharmacy; outline the Common Conditions Service as it has been developed for community pharmacy practice in Ireland; present examples of implementation resources developed by the IPU to support service adoption and feasibility; and highlight the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to service implementation.

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Chairs & speakers