Order of Physicians rejects prescription of medicines in pharmacies

The Order of Physicians (OM) expressed this Wednesday its “absolute rejection” of the Ministry of Health’s proposal to allow pharmacies to prescribe and dispense prescription drugs without the intervention of a doctor.

“ The measure constitutes an unacceptable affront to patient safety , the quality of healthcare provision and the very basic principle of medicine : rigorous and well-founded clinical assessment carried out by a doctor ,” highlights the president of the OM, Carlos Cortes, quoted in a statement.

For the OM, it is “irresponsible and irrational” for the doctor prescribing a prescription drug to be replaced by the pharmacist, even in the case of an illness that is considered apparently mild.

“Expressing concern is not enough, given the seriousness that the proposal could pose for healthcare and public health ”, stresses the president.

The OM was reacting to statements made on Tuesday by the Secretary of State for Health, who expressed openness to evaluating treatment for minor infections in pharmacies and asked for everyone's collaboration so that the dispensing of medicines in close proximity could be extended more quickly throughout the territory.

Ana Povo said that the order is almost complete, involving professional associations, Infarmed and the Directorate-General for Health (DGS), creating conditions to assess the possibility of treating minor situations in pharmacies , such as some urinary infections.

The desire to see these situations handled by pharmacists — with previously defined protocols — was expressed several times by the president of the pharmacies.

The OM reminds that prescribing medication is a medical act, which requires an accurate diagnosis, a rigorous clinical evaluation and continuous monitoring of the patient.

“Doctors are duly qualified and trained to make decisions” and ensure that “each prescription is made based on scientific evidence and best clinical practice and not on criteria that have nothing to do with the exclusive well-being of the patient”, according to the OM.

Opposing practices of care, diagnosis, prescription and dispensing of medicines that may compromise the safety and efficacy of treatments, the organization reiterates that these must be carried out by professionals “with the necessary training and scientific knowledge to evaluate patients”.

“The proposal goes against the principles of clear separation between prescribing and dispensing medicines, creating an evident conflict of interests that could compromise fundamental ethical aspects and the impartiality necessary in the process of treating patients,” he says.

The OM also demands that the Ministry of Health “not embrace the complacency and populism that the measures indicate”, indicating that any change to the law must be taken with caution.

“The Ministry of Health should focus on what matters: strengthening the National Health Service, improving the working conditions of professionals and ensuring timely and quality access to medical care with justice and equity for the entire population”, says Carlos Cortes.

Considering that “patient safety cannot be compromised by unjustified and dangerous practices”, the OM says it will remain “firm in the uncompromising defense of the quality of health care in Portugal” and will take “all necessary measures to contest it”.