PSI and Medical Council to Co-operate On Patient Safety
September 26, 2011
Regulators to Co-operate On Patient Safety
Paul Fahey, President PSI and Professor Kieran Murphy, President Medical Council on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two regulatory bodies.
Monday, September 26, 2011: The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) and the Medical Council will increase mutual cooperation following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two regulators, it was announced today.
The memorandum is intended to provide a framework to assist the joint working of the two statutory regulators to ensure maximum effectiveness regarding public safety and public health issues when carrying out their statutory functions.
The two bodies will aim to collaborate more closely in areas such as the discharge of their respective regulatory functions and the sharing of information, with particular emphasis on the safe and rational use of medicines in the interests of patient safety and public protection.
The memorandum sets out the principles underlying this collaboration and provides guidance on the exchange of information between the two bodies. It was signed on behalf of the PSI by President, Paul Fahey, and Registrar and Chief Executive Dr Ambrose McLoughlin, and on behalf of the Medical Council by President, Professor Kieran Murphy and Chief Executive, Caroline Spillane.
Dr Ambrose McLoughlin, Registrar and Chief Executive of the PSI, welcomed the agreement, saying: “This agreement is intended to formalise our already close co-operation with the Medical Council, thus ensuring more effective regulation. The memorandum of understanding is designed to ensure that the relationship is productive and meets each organisation’s aims and objectives, particularly when there are common interests and over-lapping responsibilities. It is vital for patients and public safety generally that there is a coherent outline of collaboration between our two statutory agencies, particularly as the healthcare professionals we regulate work closely together in the care and treatment of patients, and this memorandum will help to ensure that.”
Ms Caroline Spillane, Chief Executive of the Medical Council, said that the new agreement would further build on the existing strong working relationship between the Council and the PSI. “The primary role of both organisations is to safeguard the public and this new agreement will allow for greater cooperation in the interests of patient safety. The Medical Council looks forward to strengthening ties with the PSI and developing a collaborative approach on areas of common interest.”
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