ANNUAL REPORT OF IPU EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2012 AGMS OF THE IPU AND IPU SERVICES LTD RADISSON BLU HOTEL, GALWAY 27-29 APRIL 2012 ANNUAL REPORT 2012 Friday 27 and Sunday 29 April 2012 (confined to paid up members of the IPU) Chairman: Mr Darragh O’Loughlin, President Agenda Friday 27 April 18.15 Registration 18.45 1. Welcome 2. One minute’s silence in memory of pharmacists who died since the 2011 AGM. 3. Minutes of 2011 AGM 4. Financial Report and Accounts 2011 a. Adoption of Audited Statement of Accounts b. Appointment of Auditors c. Union Membership Subscriptions 5. IPU Services Ltd, AGM Minutes of 2011 AGM Financial Statements 2011 a. Adoption of Directors’ Report b. Adoption of Audited Statement of Accounts c. Remuneration of Auditors 6. Union Secretariat Report (Page 9) 7. Group Reports / Open Forum: Introduction and Update a. Pharmacy Contractors’ Committee Report (Page 13) b. Community Pharmacy Committee Report (Page 16) c. Employee Pharmacists’ Committee Report (Page 19) d. Communications Report (Page 20) e. International Pharmacy Matters (Page 22) 8. Open Forum 20.00 End of First Session Sunday 29 April 10.30 Registration 10.45 9. Report on Motions from 2011 AGM (Page 6) 10. 2012 AGM Motions (Page 27) 11. Open Forum 12.00 Close of AGM 12.00 Pharmacy Conference resumes with Panel Discussion 14.00 Closing of Conference by Róisín Shortall TD, Minister of State, Department of Health with responsibility for Primary Care ANNUAL REPORT 2012 ANNUAL REPORT 2012 Message from the President I am delighted to welcome you to Galway for the second annual IPU National Pharmacy Conference. Yet again, this is a superb event, providing both valuable learning opportunities and an enjoyable social occasion. A showcase for the best aspects of the community pharmacy profession in Ireland, this conference is the culmination of the extraordinary efforts of a small group of people who deserve our thanks and our congratulations for a job well done. These remain difficult times, both for pharmacists and for our wider society. The FEMPI Act remains in place, with its implicit threat of yet further cuts in our payments, and uncertainty surrounds the likely impact on pharmacists of both a new IPHA/HSE agreement and the impending introduction of Reference Pricing. Retail sales continue to decline as consumers become ever more fearful of spending and the general economic outlook shows no sign of improvement. However, despite the dark clouds, there are some reasons to be positive as our quest to deliver a broader range of convenient, accessible and cost-effective healthcare services to our patients and the public begins to show results. Following the successful introduction of the Emergency Contraception service in pharmacies early last year, the Minister for Health James Reilly then legislated in the autumn to allow Darragh O’LOughLin, President, iPu pharmacists to provide seasonal influenza vaccination for the first time. Notwithstanding the limited time available, the IPU worked with other stakeholders to ensure the profession would be ready: organising vaccination training, getting it accredited by Trinity College Dublin against PSI standards, and also producing protocols and SOPs for members to use in their pharmacies. The professional manner in which pharmacists delivered the vaccination service, particularly the way we dealt with the issues which arose, proved our capacity to deliver high quality and safe primary healthcare to the public. The IPU has no agenda other than to further the interests of its members and of the pharmacy profession. We will continue to engage constantly and constructively with Government and with the public to ensure the potential of pharmacy is realised. Ours is a worthy profession, one which is valued and appreciated by our patients. As we face up to the significant challenges ahead, the Union will seek out and seize every opportunity to secure the future of community pharmacy services. The Union continues to communicate with members through the monthly IPU Review and General Memoranda, the weekly e-newsletters and occasional text updates. We have a very comprehensive website on which you will find an abundance of information and also a Members’ Forum. I encourage you all to make the best use of the resources which the Union provides, to keep yourself informed and to participate in Union activities. Be sure to share any ideas you may have for improvement. Rory O’DOnneLL, Vice-President, iPu Your representatives on the Union’s committees continue to apply themselves with genuine dedication and unity of purpose for the benefit of the profession. They are ably assisted by the excellent staff in Butterfield House, all of whom remain passionate about supporting and advocating for you, the Union’s members. On your behalf, I thank all of them most sincerely for their efforts and their enthusiasm. As I hand over the chain of office, I would like to express my gratitude to our Secretary General, Séamus Feely, and to my Vice-President Rory O’Donnell and Treasurer Kathy Maher for their advice, support and friendship during my two years as IPU President, and also to my family for their fortitude and forbearance throughout that time. I congratulate Rory and Kathy on their recent election as President and Vice-President respectively and wish them well in their new roles. I know that they, and our new Honorary Treasurer, John Gleeson, will serve us well and do us proud in the coming months and years. Darragh O’Loughlin MPSI Kathy Maher, hon. treasurer, iPu ANNUAL REPORT 2012 ANNUAL REPORT 2012 Contents 1. Executive Committee .............................................................................................................................. 3 2. Financial Statements ...............................................................................................................................4 3. Minutes of 2011 Annual General Meeting ....................................................................................... 5 4. 2011 AGM Motions and Report on Action Taken ...........................................................................6 5. Union Secretariat Report........................................................................................................................9 6. Pharmacy Contractors’ Committee Report ....................................................................................13 7. Community Pharmacy Committee Report ................................................................................... 16 8. Employee Pharmacists’ Committee Report .................................................................................. 19 9. Communications Report ..................................................................................................................... 20 10. International Pharmacy Matters .......................................................................................................22 a. PGEU Report ......................................................................................................................................22 b. Report on FIP Congress .................................................................................................................24 11. 2012 AGM Motions .................................................................................................................................27 12. Appendices ................................................................................................................................................28 The Financial Statements for the Irish Pharmacy Union and IPU Services Ltd have been circulated to all members of the IPU. ANNUAL REPORT 2012 ANNUAL REPORT 2012 Appendices I Extract of Submission by the IPU to Economic and Social Research Institute on “A Roadmap to Reform the Delivering of Drugs to Consumers in Ireland” 30 June 2011 ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 28 II Paper for the Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly TD 18 July 2011 ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 31 III Extract of IPU Submission to the Irish Medicines Board on the Legal Supply Classification of Medicinal Products 31 July 2011 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................32 IV Paper on Regulation of Lobbyists for the Minister for State with responsibility for Primary Care, Ms Roisin Shortall TD 16 August 2011 ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................33 V Submission by the IPU to the Department of Finance on Budget 2012 21 October 2011 .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 36 VI Summary of IPU Submission to Review under The FEMPI Act 2009 4 November 2011 .............................................................................................................................................................................................................