Ministers welcome cross border collaboration on innovation in healthcare and medicines optimisation

Ministers welcome cross-border collaboration on innovation in healthcare and medicines optimisation

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt was joined by the Irish Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Employment, Small Businesses and Retail, and at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with special responsibility for Circular Economy, Alan Dillon TD, at an event to showcase pharmacy practice and medicines optimisation innovation.

The event also explored opportunities for cross-border working to address shared healthcare challenges.

Over the past decade, the Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre (MOIC) in Northern Ireland has emerged as a beacon of innovation in healthcare, particularly in the realms of medicines optimisation. Established in 2015 by the Department of Health, MOIC has made significant strides in enhancing health outcomes, reducing inefficiencies and minimising waste in medicine use through research, collaboration and knowledge transfer.

At the event, MOIC and the Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI) in the Republic of Ireland signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU will build on existing relationships and allow for further collaboration to benefit the population’s health across the island of Ireland.]

Read the full press release here. https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/news/ministers-welcome-cross-border-collaboration-innovation-healthcare-and-medicines-optimisation

Mr Dillon is Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with special responsibility for Employment, Small Businesses and Retail, and at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications with special responsibility for Circular Economy.