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Training Establishments

As part of the application process to undertake the National Pharmacy Internship Programme, an intern must submit an application for approval of training placement (Form NPIP2).  An intern is required to complete a twelve month training placement in Ireland and the training placement can be undertaken in the following training establishments under the following structure:

• 12 months in community pharmacy, or;
• 12 months in hospital pharmacy, or;
• 6 months in community or hospital pharmacy and 6 months in a training establishment engaged in specific activities (see Rule 17(1) of the PSI’s (Education and Training) Rules 2008), or;
• 6 months in community pharmacy and 6 months in hospital pharmacy

The eligibility criteria for recognition of a training establishment by the PSI include the following:

• Convictions under medicines legislation (that includes human and veterinary medicines) and/or pharmacy legislation prior to application for recognition will lead to automatic ineligibility. If a conviction is being appealed through the Courts, the training establishment will be considered ineligible in the interim. The matter can be addressed again at the point of the appeal outcome.
• Convictions under medicines legislation (that includes human and veterinary medicines) and/or pharmacy legislation during the period approved will lead to the automatic rescinding of the approved status. The automatic rescission will commence at the date of the conviction. In order to protect the tutee, the PD&L Committee will be entitled to recognise the duration of supervised training completed by the tutee at that training establishment. This will be carried out on a case by case basis by the PD&L Committee.
• Furthermore, the pharmacy owner, or the nominated representative, will be required to inform the PSI and the tutee (pharmacy intern or TCQR applicant) with regard to all impending prosecutions once the relevant summons has been served, irrespective of the prosecuting agency.
• Any sanction arising from proven complaints under Part 6 of the Pharmacy Act 2007 prior to application for recognition will lead to automatic ineligibility.
• Any sanction arising from proven complaints under Part 6 of the Pharmacy Act 2007 during the period approved will immediately lead to the automatic rescission of the approved status. The automatic rescission will commence at the date the sanction is imposed by Council. In order to protect the tutee, the PD&L Committee will be entitled to recognise the duration of supervised training completed by the tutee at that training establishment. This will be carried out on a case by case basis by the PD&L Committee.
• In the event that a pharmacy owner and/or superintendent pharmacist and/or supervising pharmacist for a training establishment has been convicted under medicines and/or pharmacy legislation or subject to any sanction by Council, and where the pharmacy owner and/or superintendent pharmacist and/or supervising pharmacist is neither the tutor pharmacist nor the pharmacy owner, this could have the effect of rendering the training establishment ineligible for recognition. The circumstances of each such matter would be required to be considered by the PD&L Committee on a case-by-case basis.
• In the event of convictions other than those under medicines or pharmacy legislation, the tutor pharmacist/pharmacy owner will be required to inform the PSI as and when these occur. In such cases, the PD&L Committee may be required to determine if recognition of the tutor pharmacist/training establishment may be given or continued.
• The decision of the PD&L Committee in such instances may be subject to an appeal to Council of the PSI by the registered pharmacist/retail pharmacy business.

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