PSI Irish Pharmacy Law & Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The General Medical Services (GMS) scheme in Ireland provides medicines free of charge to which patient group?
- Medical card holders (Correct answer)
- All patients under 70
- Private patients only
- All EU citizens in Ireland
Correct answer: Medical card holders
Medical card holders (means-tested) receive prescription medicines dispensed under the GMS scheme free of charge. Pharmacies claim reimbursement from the HSE at agreed reference prices.
Question 2: Which ethical principle requires pharmacists to act in the best interest of the patient?
- Beneficence (Correct answer)
- Autonomy
- Justice
- Non-maleficence
Correct answer: Beneficence
Beneficence means actively doing good for the patient — the duty to promote health and wellbeing. It forms a core pillar of pharmacy ethics alongside non-maleficence, autonomy and justice.
Question 3: A pharmacist who refuses to dispense a legal prescription on conscientious grounds must:
- Refer the patient to another provider who can meet their needs (Correct answer)
- Simply decline and turn the patient away
- Destroy the prescription
- Report the prescriber to the Medical Council
Correct answer: Refer the patient to another provider who can meet their needs
PSI guidance on conscientious objection states pharmacists may decline on personal grounds but must not abandon the patient — they must refer to another provider where the patient's needs can be met.
Question 4: Under the Drug Payment Scheme (DPS), what is the monthly out-of-pocket cap per family in Ireland (as of 2024)?
- €80 (Correct answer)
- €144
- €20
- €50
Correct answer: €80
As of 2024, the DPS monthly threshold is €80 per individual or family. Once this amount is reached in a calendar month, further approved medicines are free. (The threshold was reduced from €144 in recent years.)
Question 5: The PSI Code of Conduct requires pharmacists to maintain professional competence through:
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD) (Correct answer)
- Annual written examinations
- Revalidation every 5 years only
- Membership of a professional trade union
Correct answer: Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
PSI requires registered pharmacists to engage in CPD — recording learning activities in a CPD portfolio. This is a mandatory condition of retention on the pharmacist register.
Question 6: Which document establishes the PSI's Standards of Conduct, Ethics and Performance for pharmacists?
- PSI Code of Conduct (Conduct and Discipline Rules) (Correct answer)
- Health Act 1970
- National Drug Strategy
- European Pharmacopoeia
Correct answer: PSI Code of Conduct (Conduct and Discipline Rules)
The PSI Code of Conduct sets out the ethical and professional standards expected of registered pharmacists in Ireland, underpinning fitness to practise proceedings.
PSI Irish Pharmacy Law & Ethics 2
The General Medical Services (GMS) scheme in Ireland provides medicines free of charge to which patient group?