Pharmacists in European Health Systems: Time for an Educational Update

Checking prescriptions and dispensing drugs has remained the main traditional activity of pharmacists, who have strongly advocated in recent decades for switching their activity towards patients. Pharmaceutical care and clinical pharmacy are the two most cited concepts supporting this patient-centred trend. Community pharmacies are predominantly private shops in almost all European countries, and their ownership and number have been subject to restrictions almost everywhere. The regulation of the distribution margin on reimbursable drugs varies highly from one country to another. Hospital pharmacists are primarily responsible for drug ordering, purchasing, storage and supply. The classic training for pharmacists is still focused on scientific disciplines, and the minimum years required for graduation are more than those for almost all other university degrees in Europe. The common crux of the matter is that community pharmacists have always had a potential conflict of interest when working in private pharmacies since their management strategies are directed towards profitability. The ownership, number and location of community pharmacies should be liberalized, and the distribution margin should exclusively be a fixed fee per prescription. Although the right to prescribe seems more reasonable for hospital pharmacists, it requires an appropriate baseline background in specific areas of expertise. We are convinced that a minimum of three years to earn a degree should be enough for a European pharmacist to start working for health care systems.