Cork pharmacies back campaign to highlight free bowel cancer screening

The HSE and Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) are encouraging people aged 57-71 to talk to their community pharmacy team about taking part in BowelScreen, Ireland’s free bowel screening programme.

The partners have worked together to deliver training and education on BowelScreen to pharmacy teams. Its promotion in pharmacies will start this month, with more than 1,500 nationwide taking part in the initiative to increase the uptake.

BowelScreen is Ireland’s free bowel screening programme, and 850,000 people across the country are eligible to do this free home screening test. The goal is to reduce deaths from bowel cancer by helping to prevent bowel cancer, and finding cancer early, when it’s usually easier to treat and patients have better outcomes.

Every year, around 3,000 people have growths called polyps removed from their bowel after their screening test showed that they were at risk of bowel cancer. These are all potential cancers prevented.

The National Cancer Registry Ireland Annual Statistical Report 2026 highlights that bowel cancer incidence and mortality declined in both men and women between 1994 and 2023. It also highlights trends that are consistent with the impact of BowelScreen, including earlier diagnosis and the detection and removal of pre-cancerous changes before cancer develops.

Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said: “This initiative, agreed under the Community Pharmacy Agreement, marks an important step in increasing participation in BowelScreen and improving cancer prevention and early detection outcomes.

“Community pharmacists and their teams are among the most accessible and trusted healthcare professionals in our communities, and they have a vital role to play in raising awareness of the screening programme and encouraging eligible people to take part.

“By bringing information and support into pharmacies in villages, towns and cities across Ireland, we are making it easier for people to engage with BowelScreen and take positive steps for their health.”

From this month, participating pharmacy teams will attach a promotional sticker to prescription bags for people in the eligible age range of 57-71 years. This will encourage people to talk to their pharmacy teams about BowelScreen. It has a freephone number and a QR code so people can check that they are registered for BowelScreen or register themselves and request their free home test kit.

Pharmacy teams that have opted into the agreement have access to education modules developed jointly by the HSE and IPU.

These modules help pharmacy teams talk to people about BowelScreen, how it works and the importance of taking part in screening.

Hilary Coffey Farrell, HSE BowelScreen Programme Manager, said: “We are delighted to announce the implementation of this phase of the Community Pharmacy Agreement 2025.

“We know that pharmacies are trusted community hubs, providing accessible health information, advice and support.

“Starting in October, our new stickers on prescription bags will give people an easy way to get information about BowelScreen, as well as being a conversation starter with their pharmacy team.

“If you’re aged 57–71 and have been invited to do the test before and haven’t, please take this opportunity to talk to your community pharmacy team and ask any questions you have.”

Susan O’Donnell, Professional Services Pharmacist, Irish Pharmacy Union, said: “Your community pharmacy team is here to help. Two-thirds of all adults in Ireland live within 2km of a pharmacy so you are never too far away from the help and advice you need.

“We are delighted to be playing our part in informing people about BowelScreen and working to encourage more people to do the test. Screening is a positive step you can take to look after your health and we can make that easier by explaining how the test works and answering your questions.”

Increasing uptake of BowelScreen is a priority for the HSE. It is growing and is at about 50%.

Working with community pharmacies, BowelScreen aims to further increase uptake by providing another way for people to get information, and to have the support of their community pharmacy teams if they have questions or need more support. This is in addition to existing supports, including:

Information at hse.ie/bowelscreen where you can learn more, check the register, and order your kit

Videos about BowelScreen available in 29 languages and Irish Sign Language, and a video guide on how to use the online register

Accessible information about BowelScreen in plain English, easy-to-read formats and photo and video stories

Resources in accessible and easy-to-read formats including: Information leaflets (in English and Irish) and a guide to screening for carers and the people they support. An access officer is available to help people if they need support before, during and after screening.

Bowel cancer symptoms

Screening is for people who don’t have symptoms. People with symptoms should visit their GP, even if they have had a recent normal bowel screening test. A screening test is not a diagnostic test. Not all cancers or polyps bleed all the time, so a normal result does not guarantee cancer isn’t present. This is why it is so important to be aware of symptoms of bowel cancer and see a GP immediately, even if you had a recent normal screening result.

For further information on BowelScreen visit: hse.ie/bowelscreen

Email: info@bowelscreen.ie

Freephone: 1800 45 45 55