1355. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary question No. 544 of 14 May 2026, if people can access their prescription such as a locker type dispenser that has been placed on the outside of a pharmacy after closure. [39476/26]

The supply of medicinal products to the public is subject to strict statutory controls under the Pharmacy Act 2007 and the Regulation of Retail Pharmacy Businesses Regulations 2008 (as amended).

Under this legislative framework, a retail pharmacy business must be conducted under the personal supervision of a registered pharmacist. This requirement is fundamental to ensuring that medicines are supplied safely and appropriately, with professional oversight, clinical judgment, and the opportunity for patient counselling where necessary.

Our legislation provides that: a pharmacy owner must ensure that the retail pharmacy business is operated in accordance with the Act and Regulations; and medicinal products are only supplied from the registered premises under the direct and personal supervision of a pharmacist.

The concept of personal supervision entails that the pharmacist: is physically present on the premises, maintains control over the supply process, and is in a position to intervene, advise, and assess the appropriateness of supply.

Arrangements such as medicine collection lockers—where prescription or non-prescription medicines are stored for collection without a pharmacist present—are not consistent with these legal requirements. Such systems:

• Remove the pharmacist’s ability to exercise real-time professional judgment at the point of supply;

• Eliminate the opportunity for patient interaction, counselling, and clarification of therapy; and

• Undermine the statutory requirement that the supply takes place under personal supervision within the registered pharmacy premises.

For these reasons, the use of lockers or similar mechanisms for the unsupervised supply of medicines falls outside what is permitted under the current legislative framework.

The prohibition on the use of lockers for medicine supply reflects the need to uphold patient safety, ensure appropriate clinical oversight, and comply with the legal requirement for the personal supervision of a pharmacist in all aspects of the retail pharmacy business.