How to Make a Complaint

A complaint can be made by, or on behalf of, any person to the PSI about a pharmacist or pharmacy. This includes patients, members of the public, employers and other health professionals. The Registrar of the PSI may also make a complaint about a pharmacist or pharmacy.

Complaints must be made in writing.

You may complete and sign a copy of the PSI’s complaint form.

Alternatively, you may prefer to write a letter to the PSI setting out the grounds of your complaint.

You will need to include:

  • Your full name, address and daytime telephone number.
  • As much information about the circumstances of your complaint as you can provide, including names, dates and places.
  • As much information about the pharmacist(s) or pharmacy business as you can provide, such as name, place of work, etc.
  • Supporting documentation including copies of prescriptions, relevant correspondence, etc.
  • Name and contact details of any other person(s) who can substantiate the matters referred to in your complaint.

Your complaint together with any supporting documentation should be submitted to the following address:

Complaints Officer
Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland
PSI House,
Fenian Street,
Dublin 2

What Issues the PSI Can and Cannot Consider


Before you make a complaint to the PSI, you should consider whether the PSI is the most appropriate organisation to address it.

Under our legislation, the Preliminary Proceedings Committee may consider complaints about registered pharmacists on one or more of the following grounds:

  • Professional misconduct
  • Poor professional performance
  • Impairment of the pharmacist’s ability to practise because of a physical or mental disability, an emotional disturbance or an addiction to alcohol or drugs.
  • Failure to comply with one or more condition(s) attached to the pharmacist’s registration
  • Failure to comply with an undertaking given by the pharmacist to the PSI or to take any action specified in a consent given by the pharmacist in response to a request from a Committee of Inquiry under Section 46 of the Pharmacy Act 2007
  • Contravention of a provision of the Pharmacy Act 2007 or Rules made by the Council of the PSI under the Act
  • Conviction in the State for an offence triable on indictment (or if convicted outside the State for an offence which would constitute an offence triable on indictment in this jurisdiction)

The Preliminary Proceedings Committee also considers complaints relating to retail pharmacy businesses under one or more of the following grounds:

  • The pharmacy owner or an employee or a partner of the pharmacy owner, or representative or person engaged by the representative, has been convicted of a relevant offence referred to in Section 36(1) of the Pharmacy Act 2007
  • The pharmacy owner or an employee or a partner of the pharmacy owner, or representative or person engaged by the representative, has been convicted of any other offence or committed misconduct and the nature of such offence or misconduct is such that, if that person were applying to the Council for registration as a pharmacist, the Council would be likely to refuse the application.

What the PSI Cannot Consider


Please note the PSI cannot:

  • Consider complaints about professionals other than pharmacists
  • Consider complaints about businesses other than retail pharmacy businesses
  • Consider complaints which relate solely to commercial matters (unless they also refer to one or more of the grounds for complaint set out in Sections 35 and 36 of the Pharmacy Act 2007), e.g. pricing concerns or non-payment of rent on commercial premises,  
  • Consider complaints which relate solely to employment issues (unless they also refer to one or more of the grounds for complaint set out in Sections 35 and 36 of the Pharmacy Act 2007), e.g. hours of work, contracts of employment
  • Provide you with legal advice or representation
  • Help you make a claim for compensation
  • Provide or arrange medical treatment or counselling for you
  • Contact a pharmacist on your behalf and ask him or her to do something
  • Compel a pharmacist or pharmacy owner to apologise to you
  • Provide an explanation of what happened