To ask the Minister of Health for an update on the Pharmacy Workforce Review Action Plan; and what steps he is taking to ensure local pharmacies are well-staffed in the short term.

My Department published its Pharmacy Workforce Review and accompanying Action Plan last November 2020, to inform development of the whole NI pharmacy workforce over the next ten years.

A Steering Group has been established to oversee implementation of the Action Plan. The plan contains 17 main actions which are being progressed under a number of work streams and sub-groups including Community Pharmacy Service Development, Pharmacy Technicians, Consultant Pharmacists, and General Practice Pharmacy.

Significant progress has been made to date with some early actions complete including agreement of the 2021/22 community pharmacy commissioning plan. To attract retain and recruit the necessary workforce the Pharmacy Futures campaign was also launched in November 2020 by the Pharmacy Forum NI, in partnership with the Department. The campaign was devised to significantly boost the profession by attracting pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy staff to come and work in NI. A virtual careers event was held earlier this summer and a network of Pharmacy Champions have now been established across NI. Other actions relating to pharmacy technicians and those requiring legislative changes, will be implemented in the longer term.

To help maximise the pharmacy workforce in the short term, my Department issued communications to pharmacy registrants, locums and undergraduates appealing for them to help their community pharmacy services by registering an interest to work in this sector. Recently retired pharmacists were also retained on the register to enable them to work during the pandemic. To alleviate workforce pressures in community pharmacy increased funding was provided for staffing during 2021 and remuneration for community pharmacy placements was increased to help retain students in NI to complete their foundation training.