In the session of the Regional Council of Liguria on 7 July 2022, the proposal of the was approved 
President, Giovanni Toti: Activation of the General Practitioner exchange/revocation service at Ligurian pharmacies: approval of the "Agreement for the performance of general practitioner exchange/revocation operations at public and private pharmacies". The operation will cost the citizen 3 euros, plus VAT.
We report the Region statement:
EXPERIMENTATION OF CHANGING DOCTORS ALSO IN THE PHARMACY THANKS TO THE COLLABORATION WITH FEDERFARMA, ASSOFARM AND LIGURIA DIGITALE FROM MONDAY 11 JULY
Thursday, 07 July 2022
Genoa. The experimentation of the new service in Ligurian pharmacies will start on Monday 11 July, where it will be possible to change the general practitioner. In today's Regional Council a resolution was approved which, in fact, allows the start of the new service, thanks to the collaboration with Federfarma Liguria, Assofarm and Liguria Digitale.
In addition to the already active channels (Local health offices and online platform), in the 600 pharmacies in the area the new service will be made available in a multi-channel manner, as already successfully tested for the vaccination campaign, for adult citizens registered in the health register of Liguria who they will show up with the most recent health card (TEAM) in their possession.
The change of doctor satisfies an "important" need, just think that in the last year changes made by Ligurian citizens totaled 327,387, of which 24,205 were performed online thanks to the service already made available by Liguria Digitale.
"The primary objective is to make life easier for citizens, especially for those who are fragile or live, for example, in the hinterland - explains the President of the Region and Health Councilor Giovanni Toti - also through the offer of a range of services related to health and prevention. Pharmacies have been a fundamental safeguard for prevention, information to citizens and also for vaccination throughout the period of the coronavirus emergency, demonstrating the strategic importance of their role as online 'service pharmacies'. Starting from this absolutely positive and virtuous experience – he adds – we activate this new service to be able to change your general practitioner in the pharmacy near your home, without having to go to the ASL counters. The possibility of changing doctors by choosing the preferred channel is another piece that adds to the mosaic of digital health services, thanks to the precious technical support of Liguria Digitale and the collaboration of Federfarma, which through all the participating pharmacies, is a fundamental territorial presence ”.
“We work – explains Enrico Castanini, sole administrator of Liguria Digitale – to achieve the objective indicated by the Liguria Region, listening to people's needs and coordinating all aspects relating to the services with the players involved: Local Health Authority, Alisa, doctors and pharmacists. Only with teamwork can concrete and satisfactory results be obtained”.
“The possibility of changing the family doctor in the pharmacy - declares Elisabetta Borachia, president of Federfarma Liguria - is one more possibility that the network of 600 Ligurian pharmacies will offer to citizens. It is a service that adds to the many innovative ones that we have launched in recent months in agreement with the Region, with a view to making the pharmacy a hub with an increasingly broad offer to users, as well as being easily accessible. Citizens will be able to change their doctor - but not choose it for the first time, if they don't have one yet - simply by showing up at the pharmacy with their health card, within a few minutes. Simplification and efficiency are the directions we are working on, working in full harmony with the institutions and other regional health stakeholders".
The necessary requirements to carry out the operation are:
• be of age
• have an active membership in the same Asl where the pharmacy where you want to use the service operates
• have or have previously had a doctor
• have not made a change of doctor through the online platform in the previous 31 days
• do not belong to particular categories
The "doctor change" service is also available online at https://poliss.regione.liguria.it/cittadini/servizio-anagrafe-sanitaria. The page contains detailed instructions for accessing the service, which are shown below:
the "Change Doctor" function allows you to choose a new doctor or a new pediatrician. If at the time of the choice the citizen already has a doctor assigned, this is revoked.
A citizen can change doctors if:
• is registered in the health register
• have or have already had at least one doctor
• is not registered in the Registry of Italians Resident Abroad (AIRE)
• has not deactivated the last choice made with the reason "Maritime" or "Navigating" or even for "Suspension for stay abroad longer than 30 days"
• You have not used the "Change Doctor" feature in the previous 31 days
• has not already made a choice as of that day.
For choosing a new doctor, citizens can define search parameters (for example the geographical area of interest) which allow them to view a list of names. The list includes all doctors under agreement and paediatricians, even with temporary appointments, present in the indicated area. For each name, information on the addresses and opening hours of the studies is also available, to help citizens make their choice.
You can select the new doctor's name if:
• has places available
• is not part of a partner study with the current doctor, if the choice is still valid
• is not replacing the current doctor, if the choice is still valid
• has not previously had that citizen in charge and has "rejected" him
• its type (general practitioner or paediatrician of free choice) is compatible with the age of the patient.
If one of these conditions is not respected, the name is not selectable.
Once the procedure is complete, the address and hours information of the new doctor is displayed. If necessary, the information can be printed.
SNAMI
CHOICE OF DOCTOR IN THE PHARMACY
IT'S NOT A GOOD IDEA !
ROME 11 JULY 2022-The Autonomous Syndicate comments on the news published in the trade press of the experimentation in Liguria the possibility of changing general practitioners in pharmacies.
“From today - he says Angelo Testa, national president of Snami– should come into effect the departure of a new service, approved by the Ligurian regional council, who sees us totally against it and which we consider potentially dangerous in the public health system.
There choice of trusted doctor plays an essential role both in the prevention and in the treatment of ongoing pathologies and is an important moment for the citizen who entrusts his health to a healthcare professional who can then decide to change because he no longer satisfies our needs or the relationship has been interrupted of trust. Obviously the doctor can do the same by refusing the patient.
Over the years we have intervened heavily because some unfaithful employee who, instead of aseptically complying with formalizing the patient's indications on the choice of trusted doctor, expressed comments, censures and various indications. If today some pharmacist, who certainly has more power than the ASSL employee, behaved in the same way we will witness a real saga of the tips for shopping .
It's time to stop it – concludes the Snami leader – of replace the organizational inefficiencies of the national health system and give in to pressure from third parties. We ask pharmacists to be pharmacists and that's it and we ask them what they would say if the family doctors, for a level playing field, asked and pressed for do you want to experiment with the pharmaceutical dispensary in your own professional studios?
SNAMI National Press Office
Note:
Also in Lombardy it is possible to choose (or revoke) the family doctor and the pediatrician in the pharmacies. This is foreseen in a resolution approved by the regional council on the proposal of the vice president and councilor for welfare Letizia Moratti. It follows the agreement signed by Lombardy region, Federfarma Lombardia and Assofarm Confservizi Lombardia. The service will be active from Tuesday 5 July. (Lombardy news)
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