Pharmaceutical Assistants
Pharmaceutical assistants must be registered with the PSI in order to practise in Ireland.
A pharmaceutical assistant may work in conjunction with a pharmacist in the sale and supply of medicines, or carry out the activities of a pharmacist during their temporary absence from the pharmacy.
Under the provisions of the Pharmacy Act 2007 (as amended) a “pharmaceutical assistant” means “a person who before the coming into operation of section 4(1) of this Act was competent, under section 19 of the Pharmacy Act, (Ireland) Amendment Act 1890 to transact the business of a pharmacist in his or her temporary absence”.
The current position regarding scope of practice of a pharmaceutical assistant and what constitutes temporary absence is based on the Code of Practice governing the temporary absence clause of the Pharmacy Act (Amendment) Act 1890, as agreed between the Council of the old PSI and the Pharmaceutical Assistants Association following discussions that took place in 1994. In 2016 and 2018, the PSI Council consulted on draft statutory rules in seeking to define 'temporary absence' of a pharmacist from a pharmacy, as provided for under Section 30 of the Act. Further information and updates can be read in the closed consultations section of our website.
Pharmaceutical assistants wishing to remain on the register to practice in Ireland must apply on an annual basis for continued registration and pay an annual fee. You can apply for your continued registration in the PSI online registration portal. The Register of Pharmaceutical Assistants is a closed register.
Pharmaceutical assistants can make changes to personal details held by the PSI (for example; professional, correspondence and email addresses) in the online registrant portal. It is important that registrants keep their contact details and other information updated for the public registers.
If you do not wish to continue your registration, you can apply to voluntarily cancel your registration in the PSI online registration portal.
Restoring your Registration
Please contact the Registrant and Customer Relations Team regarding the pharmaceutical assistant restoration process. The can contact the team by email or phone (+353) (0)1 2184000
Certificates of registration are issued once applications for registration or continued registration, including fees, have been processed.
You can contact the Registrant and Customer Relations Team by email or by phone (+353) (0) 1 2184000 with any queries you may have.
Online Registration Portal
These videos show some of the features and benefits you can expect from our registration portal and public registers.