Under government-union agreement, pharmacies have until March 31 to complete core training and establish Common Conditions Service
More than nine-in-ten pharmacies have signed up to take part in a new service which allows pharmacists to prescribe for a number of ailments.
The Common Conditions Service (CCS) will give pharmacists the opportunity to prescribe medications for patients. Currently eight illnesses are covered under the service: allergic rhinitis; cold sores; conjunctivitis; impetigo; oral thrush; shingles; uncomplicated urinary tract infections/cystitis and vulvovaginal thrush.
Officially launching the service this week, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said that more than 1,800 pharmacies have signed up for the CCS, representing 94 per cent of all eligible outlets.
“More than 2,500 professionals have completed the core training modules, reflecting the dedication and commitment of those working in the pharmacy sector to supporting patients and strengthening frontline care,” she said.
“This service will have a really positive impact in local communities and will mean that patients will get faster access to treatment, closer to home.
“The Department of Health will continue to work closely with pharmacy representatives and service providers to ensure the successful roll-out of the Common Conditions Service and to support improved, convenient access to care for people in every part of Ireland.”
The development comes after a deal was reached between the Government and pharmacies late last year. Under the Community Pharmacy Agreement, all interested pharmacies were obliged to sign up to the CCS by December 1 last, and open the service to the public by March 31 next year in order to receive a once-off allowance of €2,000.
Pharmacists are trained for the service through online training. This involves a core module on the legal and ethical framework and professional matters, as well as an individual module for each common condition included in the service.
As of January 16, 2026, 2,514 pharmacists had received certification for completing the core module training, while 1,811 had obtained certification for completing the condition-specific module training on the eight common conditions.
Welcoming the launch of the CCS, Susan O’Dwyer of the Irish Pharmacy Union said: “The Common Conditions Service is a significant milestone in pharmacy care in Ireland and one that the IPU has been advocating for over many years. As medicine experts, pharmacists have long sought the opportunity to use their expertise in new ways to help patients.
“Each day in pharmacies across Ireland patients present with common self-limiting conditions, where pharmacists have the clinical knowledge to support with their management but, until now, lacked the authority to prescribe certain prescription only medications to support with treatment.
“The CCS will change that, enabling pharmacists to deliver timely care and treatment, for eight common conditions. Participating community pharmacists are looking forward to helping patients get the support they need via this private and confidential community pharmacy service.”
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