The first full year of the operation of the Pharmacy Act 2007 was 2008. The Act was passed by the Oireachtas in April 2007 and commenced on 22 May. We put in place in 2008 the first registration system for pharmacists and pharmacies in the Republic of Ireland. We also commenced some serious work in respect of the future development of pharmacy by putting in place the first statutory code of conduct for pharmacists, which further underpins the reprofessionalisation of pharmacy and brings a robust regulatory system into place.
On 1 August last we commenced the sections related to complaints, inquiries and discipline. This provides the public and patients with robust protection and also facilitates the development and expansion of the role of pharmacists and pharmacy services in line with an initiative we have commenced which is Pharmacy Ireland 2020. We seek to bring about safe pharmacy services that are affordable, deliver high patient value and value for money for taxpayers.
The PSI has also been extremely successful in leading a bid to bring the annual congress of the International Pharmaceutical Federation, FIP, to Ireland in 2013. We are grateful to the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, and the Taoiseach for supporting our efforts in this regard. If the bid is successful, some 3,000 delegates will come to Ireland to attend the congress.
We have a full system of inspection and enforcement in place. We work effectively with all of the other regulators. We have an agreement in place with our colleagues in Northern Ireland and work across the European Union with other regulators through the health care professional borders network.
We have a strong commitment to patient safety. There are only three priorities for the PSI, namely, patients, patients and patients. We take the matter extremely seriously. We have put in place a modern corporate governance system in line with the recommendations of the Department of Finance and our ruling council comprises a non-pharmacist majority. We try to minimise the risk to patients and keep the public and patients in our focus when it comes to professional development and learning.
We are reviewing undergraduate pharmacy education in Ireland. In partnership with the Ministers for Education and Science and Health and Children, Deputies Batt O'Keeffe and Harney, and their respective Departments, we have initiated a national pharmacy internship programme for the first time.
I will now focus on continuing professional development. As stated, our registration system covers all retail pharmacy businesses in the country. A total of 1,703 pharmacies are registered, as well as approximately 4,400 pharmacists and 500 pharmacy assistants. To date in 2009 - members will appreciate that these figures are significant because the PSI only commenced its inspection and enforcement duties earlier in the year - some 277 inspections have been carried out of retail pharmacy businesses. There are a number of serious investigations under way and two successful prosecutions were pursued in the courts in 2008 and 2009.
Our principal focus is to improve standards in practice and the professional conduct of pharmacists. Our main commitment is to modernise pharmacy in Ireland. There is an opportunity for pharmacists and pharmacies to help resolve some of the difficulties and challenges faced by the health service in areas such as chronic disease management, pharmaceutical care and treatment, minor ailment schemes, reclassification of medicines, medication error reporting and health screening in pharmacies. We would also like pharmacists to have full prescribing authority under protocols and on a formal basis.
Pharmacy can contribute to vaccination programmes in the future. In this regard, some 800 pharmacists have been trained to provide services in this regard. We would like there to be greater utilisation of clinical pharmacy services in the hospital sector. I would be happy to take any questions which members wish to pose.