An amendment authorizes doctors to administer vaccines in pharmacies open to the public, in suitable spaces and with the help of nurses or health assistants. Satisfaction from sector organizations: "Ever closer to the people"

by Editorial Staff | 07 July 2017 | LIFE

LItaly could soon become the tenth European country to allow vaccines to be administered in pharmacies. An amendment to the new vaccine bill, approved on July 6 by the Senate, in fact, it authorizes doctors to administer vaccines in pharmacies open to the public, in suitable spaces and possibly making use of nurses or health assistants. The methods of this administration will be established by decree of the Ministry of Health, without "new or greater burdens for public finance". Pharmacies, for their part, will have to issue the patient with a free certificate of vaccination and send a copy to the ASL "in order to ensure that the vaccination booklet is updated".

Next Tuesday the decree should go to the vote in the Palazzo Madama hall, then return to the Chamber for the third reading, but the green light from Hygiene and Health has triggered the first comments. «La possibilità di somministrare i vaccini in farmacia è un’ottima novità e ne potranno beneficiare soprattutto le persone che risiedono in aree isolate o disagiate» ha detto all’Ansa il ministro della Salute, Beatrice Lorenzin. «Ovviamente» ha continuato «l’emendamento rimanda a un decreto ministeriale che dovrà stabilire le modalità con cui disciplinare il servizio, che sarà comunque gratuito per gli utenti». Satisfaction also in Federfarma, which supported the amendment during the debate in the Commission: «Si cambiano le cose soltanto con l’assenso di tutti gli attori coinvolti» aveva detto mercoledì il presidente nazionale, Marco Cossolo, all’assemblea generale della Federazione «questa proposta è passata perché riscuote ampio sostegno». L’esame del decreto riprenderà lunedì dall’articolo 4, nella speranza che l’aula possa iniziarlo a esaminare già dal giorno successivo.

Finally, green light also from Federfarma-Sunifar Lombardia, which in a note recalls how "the law on the pharmacy of services was written with the intention of providing the entire Italian population with certain health services essential for the protection of public health, therefore pharmacies can significantly increase population participation in vaccination campaignsin full compliance with applicable laws. In particular», he concludes, «the rural pharmacies of small Italian towns feel they have to offer their contribution because it is precisely in areas with few health services that small pharmacies already meet the various health needs of citizens, with the sole intention of meet the needs of the population.

Related news:

Vaccines, FNOMCeO: no to doctors in pharmacies

The FNOMCeO underlines how this amendment would modify the current legislation (Art.102 del CONSOLIDATED TEXT OF HEALTH LAWS, RD 07/27/1934, n. 1265) which prevents, for obvious reasons of incompatibility of roles, functions and assumptions of conflict of interest, the performance of medical activities in pharmacies. Prohibition that has always been reaffirmed by subsequent legislation, passing from the Laws on the "Pharmacy of Services" up to the "DDL Lorenzin", currently being examined by the Social Affairs Commission of the Chamber, which expressly denies the possibility for the doctor to practice his profession within pharmacies.

The FNOMCeO cannot accept that a State law that guarantees transparency, identification of roles and responsibilities be modified by actions that would undermine the traceability of responsibilities, creating further disorientation and bewilderment among health operators. A law on the liability of healthcare professionals has recently been approved and is awaiting the implementing decrees: who benefits from proposing new activities at NHS principals that would introduce further elements of regulatory uncertainty? And finally: does the Pharmacy have adequate insurance coverage for structural liability?”.

FNOMCeO Press Office

Fedefarma. Vaccine decree, amendment passes for administration in pharmacies

Amendment 1.101 D'Ambrosio Lettieri, Mandelli

After paragraph 3, insert the following: «3-bis. In order to make access to vaccination therapy easier, administration can be carried out by doctors and nurses, even in public and private pharmacies throughout the country.

3-ter. Le farmacie presso cui si svolge l’attività di cui al comma 3-bis devono essere dotate di spazi idonei sotto il profilo igienico sanitario e atti a garantire la tutela della privacy.

3-quater. Le modalità relative allo svolgimento del servizio di somministrazione delle vaccinazioni in farmacia sono regolate, senza nuovi maggiori oneri per la finanza pubblica, da accordi tra le regioni e le organizzazioni sindacali maggiormente rappresentative delle farmacie pubbliche e private, tenendo anche conto delle specificità e della importanza del ruolo svolto in tale ambito dalle farmacie rurali. Per garantire l’approvvigionamento dei vaccini da parte delle farmacie le regioni si avvalgono della facoltà prevista dall’articolo 8, comma 1, lettera a), del decreto-legge n. 347 del 2001, convertito nella legge n. 405 del 2001».