The President of the Pharmaceutical Society, Dr Geraldine O’Hare, has welcomed the PSA report and its acknowledgment of the challenges that the Society and its team faced during the reporting period which covered the 2024 calendar year.
Commenting, Dr O’Hare said:
“We very much see PSA Performance Reviews and their findings as important indicators and drivers on our journey of continuous improvement, as we strive to become a modern fit for purpose regulator.
“Unfortunately, during much of 2024, the Society was considerably impacted by turnover of senior staff, which created a uniquely challenging situation. The departure of these members of staff caused an inevitable and significant impact on operational capacity, which included a forced realignment of senior management responsibilities. Considerable effort was targeted towards stabilising the organisation and ultimately successfully managing the key public safety elements of core functions relating to Registration, Fitness to Practise, Education and Training, and Standards.”
In its report, the PSA also acknowledges that there were improvements over the last third of the reporting year and Dr O’Hare confirmed that across each of the areas that have been identified for improvement, significant work has already taken place and three public consultations have been launched, each covering important issues.
The Society’s new Chief Executive Officer, Canice Ward said:
“Under the circumstances in which the Society was operating during much of 2024, it is not entirely surprising that some of the PSA standards were not met. I am satisfied that things did start to turn around in the latter part of the year and into 2025 and this is acknowledged in the PSA report. I am determined that we continue to make significant progress during the remainder of this current reporting period.”
To understand more about the actions we have taken to address the issues raised please click here.