An unprecedented clash between doctors and pharmacists is taking place these days in neighboring Switzerland, where this week the People's Chamber will discuss a highly controversial change to the law. If the proposal under examination, formulated by the Social Security and Health Commission of the National Council (Csss-n), is accepted, greater responsibilities will be assigned to pharmacists compared to what is currently envisaged by the Federal Council: in the presence of certain indications, pharmacists they will be able to autonomously dispense medicines subject to the obligation of a medical prescription. Furthermore, for each prescription, the doctor should compile a prescription that leaves the patient free to obtain the drug wherever he wishes.
Sven Bradke, director of the Ärtze mit Patientenapotheke, declared that the proposal is badly conceived and is very dangerous for the patients themselves, who would receive medicines in the absence of a medical diagnosis: «it is an intolerable situation, since pharmacists, unlike doctors, are not trained to assess the health status of patients".
Swiss pharmacists think otherwise and Marcel Mesnil, secretary general of Pharmasuisse, believes that university training qualifies pharmacists as real specialists in the medicines sector; moreover, "there are already clear obligations and limits in the delivery of medicines to pharmacies".
According to Mesnil, the measure would strengthen basic care and would represent a creative solution, useful in a social situation that will be increasingly characterized by an aging population and a shortage of family doctors.
Some figures give an idea of how much the proposal has had controversial reactions and how difficult it will be to reach a compromise that satisfies all the parties: during the consultation procedure, more than 180 positions were forwarded and the CSSS-n dedicated about fifty hours of work on this dossier, with the examination of as many as 130 minority proposals.
Renato Torlaschi
Wednesday, 07 May 2014 – Pharmacist33
