Community Pharmacists proactive management of medicine shortages protects patients, over 11 hours per week of an EU pharmacist time is devoted to managing medicine shortages.

Today, Thomas Byrne TD, Ireland’s Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence, addressed attendees at the 2025 PGEU Annual Conference “Building a Resilient Pharmacy Workforce for the Future”, emphasizing the vital role European pharmacists play in shaping EU health policies.

In his keynote speech, Minister Byrne described pharmacists and community pharmacies as “pillars of the community”.

Medicine shortages continue to disrupt pharmacy practice in all European countries and a recent report by PGEU showed pharmacies across the EU spent on average 11 hours per week last year dealing with medicine shortages. This is a growing trend over the last decade, this time spent by pharmacists could be deployed more positively in the provision of pharmaceutical care to patients, and employing pharmacists’ expertise in clinical skills, rather than on medicine sourcing and associated administrative tasks.

Minister Byrne addressed the issue of medicine shortages and welcomed efforts, at national and EU level, to mitigate medicine shortages.

Minister Byrne underlined the potential impact of upcoming EU legislation. Commenting on the Critical Medicines Act, Minister Byrne commented: “Ireland supports the potential of the Critical Medicines Act. We believe that, as part of a complete solution, the proposal will assist in addressing medicines shortages and inequitable access to medicines across the EU. The Irish Government will work closely, and speedily, with fellow Member States, to shape and progress the final Act over the coming months. We want to ensure that the final Act benefits all of the key stakeholders in Ireland.”

PGEU President, Clare Fitzell said “European Community Pharmacists welcome the European Commission’s proposal as a significant step forward to strengthen the EU’s pharmaceutical supply chain. We call for sustainable incentives for pharmaceutical production, improved coordination of medicine security initiatives, strengthening oversight of supply obligations, strategic investment, optimized contingency stocks, better public procurement practices, and swift implementation”.

For more information see the PGEU Position Paper on the Critical Medicines Act.

Read the official document below.