S.I. No. 508/2025 - Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Continuing Professional Development) (Amendment) Rules 2025

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 31st October, 2025.

The Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, in exercise of the powers conferred on the said Society by section 11 of the Pharmacy Act 2007 (No. 20 of 2007) (as adapted by the Health and Children (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 ( S.I. No. 219 of 2011 )), with the consent of the Minister for Health, hereby makes the following rules:-

Citation

1. (1) These Rules may be cited as the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Continuing Professional Development) (Amendment) Rules 2025.

(2) The Principal Rules and these Rules may be cited together as the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Continuing Professional Development) Rules 2015 and 2025.

Interpretation

2. In these Rules “Principal Rules” means the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Continuing Professional Development) Rules 2015 ( S.I. No. 553 of 2015 ).

Amendment of Rule 3 of Principal Rules

3. Rule 3 of the Principal Rules is amended—

(a) in the definition of “CPD” by inserting “and pharmaceutical assistants” after “pharmacists”,

(b) by inserting after the definition of “CPD” the following definitions:

“CPD review policy for pharmaceutical assistants” means the policy referred to in Rule 5(b);

“CPD review policy for pharmacists” means the policy referred to in Rule 5(a);”,

(c) by deleting the definitions of “criteria” and “Executive Director”, and

(d) by substituting for the definitions of “Register of Pharmacists” and “Register of Retail Pharmacy Businesses” the following definitions:

“‘Register of Pharmaceutical Assistants’, ‘Register of Pharmacists’ and ‘Register of Retail Pharmacy Businesses’ mean the relevant registers established under section 13(1)(a) of the Act;

‘registered pharmaceutical assistant’ means a person whose name is entered in the Register of Pharmaceutical Assistants;”.

Amendment of Parts 2 and 3 of Principal Rules

4. The Principal Rules are amended by substituting for Parts 2 and 3 the following:

“PART 2

DELIVERY OF CPD SYSTEM AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

Delivery of CPD system

4. (1) For the purpose of discharging the Society’s functions under section 7(1)(d) of the Act, the Council may establish, in the form of a management arrangement, the Irish Institute of Pharmacy, to arrange for the implementation and delivery of the CPD system, as determined by the Council, and the engagement by pharmacists and pharmaceutical assistants with such system.

(2) Where the Council establishes the Institute of Pharmacy in accordance with paragraph (1), the Council may, from time to time, appoint a corporate body as the Managing Body of the Institute, tasked with providing facilities and services for the Institute of Pharmacy, and the Institute shall implement and deliver the CPD system in accordance with annual work plans approved by the Council.

CPD review policies

5. For the purpose of discharging the Society’s function under section 7(1)(d) of the Act, the Council shall—

(a) approve a CPD review policy for pharmacists, setting out the requirements and procedures for pharmacists to continue their professional development, having regard to the Core Competency Framework for Pharmacists, any other competency frameworks that may be in force and the code of conduct, and

(b) approve a CPD review policy for pharmaceutical assistants, setting out the CPD model for pharmaceutical assistants and the CPD themes to be used by pharmaceutical assistants in determining their learning and development needs.

Quality assurance policy

6. For the purpose of discharging the Society’s function under section 7(1)(d) of the Act, the Council shall approve a policy of quality assurance processes for CPD activities delivered through the Institute which shall—

(a) cater for a range of CPD activities, which may include activities such as online training programmes, multi-practitioner programmes, webinars and workshops,

(b) ensure that CPD activities are of an appropriate quality, and

(c) be reviewed regularly to ensure it remains fit for purpose in line with changing CPD needs and formats, and ongoing developments in the sector.

PART 3

CPD OBLIGATIONS OF PHARMACEUTICAL ASSISTANTS

CPD obligations of pharmaceutical assistants

7. (1) With a view to implementing learning within their professional practice, improving outcomes for patients and maintaining professional competence, pharmaceutical assistants shall undertake appropriate CPD.

(2) The CPD undertaken shall be based upon a self-reflective, portfolio based model, using CPD themes, as set down in the CPD review policy for pharmaceutical assistants by the Council , to determine learning and development needs.

(3) Where the CPD system in respect of pharmaceutical assistants is delivered by the Institute—

(a) every person whose name is registered in the Register of Pharmaceutical Assistants shall be registered with the Institute and such registration with the Institute shall be valid for so long as the person’s name is entered in the Register of Pharmaceutical Assistants,

(b) the Council shall, on the re-registration or restoration of a person to the Register of Pharmaceutical Assistants, inform the pharmaceutical assistant of his or her registration with the Institute, subsequent to which the responsibility for ongoing engagement with the Institute shall remain with the pharmaceutical assistant,

(c) the Institute shall establish and maintain an electronically accessible CPD portfolio, to be known as an “ePortfolio”, for each pharmaceutical assistant registered with it,

(d) the contents of the ePortfolio shall be the sole property of the pharmaceutical assistant concerned and subject to their control,

(e) the pharmaceutical assistant concerned shall, on an annual basis or at such other intervals as may be directed by the Institute in consultation with the Council, submit for review by the Institute such extract(s) of the ePortfolio as may be prescribed by the Council in the CPD review policy for pharmaceutical assistants, save where they have been exempted by the Council from such obligation, in accordance with such policy, due to extenuating circumstances,

(f) following submission of same, the Institute shall issue a Certificate of Engagement to the pharmaceutical assistant,

(g) a selection of ePortfolios submitted for review shall be reviewed by the Institute in accordance with the CPD review policy for pharmaceutical assistants,

(h) the outcome of such review shall be conveyed to the pharmaceutical assistant by the Institute within the timescales set down by the Institute and, where such review is satisfactory, the said outcome shall be issued in the form of a Certificate of Compliance with CPD Requirements,

(i) the Institute shall refer to the Registrar any instance of non-compliance with this Rule by a pharmaceutical assistant which has not been resolved through the Institute’s remediation policy, and

(j) the Council may request from the Institute information in relation to compliance with this Rule and the issuance of certificates thereunder.”.

Amendment of Rule 8 of Principal Rules

5. Rule 8 of the Principal Rules is amended—

(a) in paragraph (1), by inserting “in accordance with the CPD review policy for pharmacists” after “appropriate CPD”, and

(b) in paragraph (3), by substituting “CPD review policy for pharmacists” for “Core Competency Framework for Pharmacists”.

Amendment of Rule 9 of Principal Rules and insertion of Rule 9A into Principal Rules

6. The Principal Rules are amended by substituting for Rule 9 the following Rules:

“Scope of this Part

9. This Part applies where the CPD System in respect of pharmacists is delivered by the Institute pursuant to Rule 4.

Registration of pharmacist with Institute

9A. (1) Every person whose name is entered in the Register of Pharmacists shall also be registered with the Institute and such registration with the said Institute shall be valid for so long as the person’s name is entered in the Register of Pharmacists.

(2) The Council shall, on a person’s first registration as a pharmacist, or, as the case may require, on the first continued registration as a pharmacist following the commencement of these Rules, including on the re-registration or restoration of a person to the Register of Pharmacists, inform the pharmacist of his or her registration with the Institute, subsequent to which the responsibility for ongoing engagement with the Institute shall remain with the pharmacist.”.

Amendment of Rule 10 of Principal Rules

7. Rule 10 of the Principal Rules is amended—

(a) in paragraph (1) by substituting “electronically” for “through the website of the Institute”,

(b) in paragraph (2) by deleting “absolute”, and

(c) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following paragraph:

“(3) Every pharmacist shall submit prescribed extracts of their ePortfolio to the Institute for review on an annual basis or at such other intervals as may be directed by the Institute in consultation with the Council, as required under the CPD review policy for pharmacists, save where they have been exempted by the Council from such obligation, in accordance with such policy, due to extenuating circumstances.”.

Amendment of Rule 11 of Principal Rules

8. The Principal Rules are amended by substituting for Rule 11 the following:

“Supervision of CPD activity

11. (1) Following the submission of the prescribed extracts of a pharmacist’s ePortfolio in accordance with Rule 10(3), the Institute shall issue a Certificate of Engagement by the Institute.

(2) The Council may request from the Institute information in relation to compliance with Rule 10(3) and issuance of Certificates of Engagement under paragraph (1).

(3) A selection of ePortfolios submitted for review pursuant to Rule 10(3) shall be reviewed by the Institute in accordance with the CPD review policy for pharmacists.

(4) The review shall be carried out by the Institute having regard to the objectives and requirements set out in Rule 8 and the CPD review policy for pharmacists.

(5) The outcome of the review carried out under this Rule shall be conveyed to the pharmacist concerned by the Institute within the timescales set down by the Institute and, where such review is satisfactory, the said outcome shall be issued in the form of a Certificate of Compliance with CPD Requirements.”.

Revocation of Rule 12 of Principal Rules

9. Rule 12 of the Principal Rules is revoked.

Amendment of Rule 13 of Principal Rules

10. The Principal Rules are amended by substituting for Rule 13 the following:

“Referral of information on non-compliance to Registrar

13. The Institute shall refer to the Registrar any instance of non-compliance with these Rules by a pharmacist which has not been resolved through the Institute’s remediation policy.”.

I, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Minister for Health, consent to the making of the foregoing Rules.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

23 October, 2025.

JENNIFER CARROLL MACNEILL,

Minister for Health.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland,

23 October, 2025.

DENIS O’DRISCOLL,

President.

JOANNE KISSANE,

Registrar.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Rules amend the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Continuing Professional Development) Rules 2015 to provide for an updated CPD system in respect of pharmacists and to introduce a CPD system for pharmaceutical assistants.