Information to support people coming to Ireland from Ukraine
April 13, 2022
In view of the particular circumstances faced by Ukrainians arriving in Ireland, and of their temporary protection rights to live and work here, we have information on this page to support those arriving from Ukraine and for pharmacists coming from Ukraine who may consider registering as a pharmacist in Ireland. In line with our responsibilities to regulate the profession and practice of pharmacy in Ireland, we engage with health and other authorities in relation to a coordinated response.
We will also respond as best we can to questions, which can be sent by email to info@psi.ie
This page was updated on 15, February 2023
Ukrainian pharmacists coming to Ireland
There are different roles that can be held by someone working in a pharmacy team in Ireland, many which do not require registration. Irish law requires that anyone wishing to practise as a pharmacist in Ireland must be registered with the PSI. Before you can do this, we must know that an applicant has a qualification suitable for practise in Ireland. We have different routes in place for qualification recognition of pharmacists depending on where the pharmacist qualification has been obtained, and these are processes governed by Irish and EU law.
Registration as a pharmacist
We encourage any Ukrainian pharmacists who want to register in Ireland to contact us directly so we can give advice and support. You can contact us by email to noneuroute@psi.ie or telephone +353 1 2184006
A pharmacist who has qualified in a Non-EU/EEA country must first apply to have their qualification recognised in Ireland, before being eligible to apply for registration as a pharmacist with the PSI. You can read the information here on the PSI’s Third Country Qualification Recognition (TCQR) process for non-EU/EEA qualified pharmacists. Non EU Trained Pharmacists- Registration -PSI (thepsi.ie)
The PSI must be satisfied that the requirements in place for a pharmacist to register are met in the interest of public safety and protection.
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Qualification recognition application fee
The PSI Council adopted a policy position in April 2022 under the provisions of Rule 5 of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (Fees) Rules 2014-2020, to waive the application fee for recognition of third country qualifications in the case of applicants availing of Temporary Protection status in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive. When applying under the Third Country Qualification Recognition process, applicants should include a copy of their document from the Department of Justice confirming Temporary Protection status.
- Registration and practice resources
The Department of Health is funding clinical English language training to support Ukrainian health professionals to meet the language requirements if applying to register. The website www.regpath.ie provides information on the minimum English language proficiency levels required, the training available, and how to apply. Those interested in doing this training must demonstrate that they are in the process towards registration with the regulator.
The Irish Health Service (HSE) national online learning and development portal for health and social care staff can also be used by all Ukrainian healthcare workers who can register on this portal. A guide on how to register is also available.
Access to healthcare and medicines for people arriving from Ukraine
Access to supports and services have and are being put in place by the Irish Government for people who arrive from Ukraine. Реакція Ірландії на ситуацію в Україні Реакция Ирландии на ситуацию в Украине
There is information available from the Health Service Executive (HSE) about access to healthcare and related services in Ireland. The HSE is Ireland’s public healthcare service. Information is available in Ukrainian Медичні послуги для українців, які прибувають до Ірландії and Russian Медицинские услуги для украинцев, прибывающих в Ирландию.
There is information about receiving COVID-19 vaccinations and about what to do if you think you have COVID-19 here in Ukrainian COVID-19 захистіть себе та оточуючих and in Russian COVID-19 как защитить себя и других.
The Citizens Information service is another useful resource about life in Ireland and access to supports for those arriving due to the war in Ukraine.
Support for pharmacists and their teams
Pharmacists and pharmacy teams in Ireland have been assisting those who require medicines and health advice following arrival from Ukraine. The HSE (PCRS) is the key point of contact for pharmacists in community pharmacies and is active in its coordination to ensure availability of essential medicines and their reimbursement. Pharmacists can contact the Community Care Pharmacist in their area for further information.
The National Immunisation Office has information for healthcare workers about the childhood immunisation schedule in Ukraine and catch-up with the Irish schedule, and advice on the COVID-19 vaccine.
Pharmacists may find this resource for medicines useful to support their treatment and care of a patient who has arrived from Ukraine. The IQVIA searchable database can be used to search for Ukrainian prescription medicines and their equivalent product (if available) in Ireland. It may prove useful in consultation with other reputable resources such as the Martindale reference text. As in all situations, pharmacists must assess the suitability and interchangeability of treatments, applying the necessary clinical knowledge, and ensure that relevant monitoring and referrals are considered for the patient.
The IPU has some useful support tools (some are IPU member-only access) to assist communication in a pharmacy between patients and pharmacy team, including this English-Ukrainian resource for use in pharmacies to aid counselling and the appropriate supply of medicines and care.
Supporting Ukraine – effective donation of medicines and supplies
Having received queries from registered pharmacists and the public about supplying medicines and equipment to Ukraine during the current situation, we liaised with the Department of Health and sent an information email to PSI registrants in March 2022, outlining the most effective way of contributing to humanitarian aid efforts.
As part of its humanitarian aid, the Government has provided additional emergency funding for essential medical care items, including medicines and medical devices. This funding will help people within Ukraine and will assist neighbouring countries receiving Ukrainians who seek refuge, such as Poland, Moldova, Slovenia, Slovakia, Romania and Croatia. Supplies of medicines or medical device are co-ordinated by the Department of Health and this is facilitated through the EU for a fast, co-ordinated response to Ukraine and neighbouring countries.
It is advised that the provision of medicines would be most appropriately managed through the existing authorised supply routes as described above. The best way to give immediate support is through a registered charity providing humanitarian aid such as food, water, shelter and healthcare. The World Health Organisation (WHO) encourages the donation of money that can enable charities to purchase essential priority medicines and to support the healthcare workforce.
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