The Commitment of Community Pharmacists in Europe
Community Pharmacists in Europe are committed to making a major contribution to improving public health by:
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Seeking to ensure that people derive maximum therapeutic benefit and encounter minimum untoward side effect from prescribed medication dispensed in pharmacies;
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Providing objective information and advice of high quality to ensure safe and responsible self-care, including self medication when that is the correct course of action;
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Encouraging healthy lifestyles through involvement in effective health promotion campaigns.
The commitment of the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union is to assist Community Pharmacists throughout Europe to achieve these objectives by ensuring that the EU Institutions recognise the value that pharmacy can add to healthcare services and by promoting best practice through effective exchange of information, and sharing of resources by members of the Group.
Through its members, the PGEU represents over 400,000 Community pharmacists throughout Europe. Its is estimated that every day, about one million peole in Europe visit a Community pharmacy.
Community pharmacies are recognised by members of the public as a vital, integral part of the health services in their country. They are also known to be conveniently accessible places where sound, objective advice on health issues can be obtained, from a knowledgeable health professional, in an informal environment in which they feel relaxed, without the need to make an appointment. In brief, pharmacies are obvious centres in every community for the effective transmission of messages designed to encourage healthy lifestyles. This has already been recognised by the health departments of governments in many Member States which have ensured that pharmacies are included in a structured way, in Public Health initiatives. Community pharmacists are, therefore, ideally located to make a valuable contribution, in some cases in collaboration with colleagues in other health professions, in the implementation of national strategies. It is probably true to say that the full potential of the involvement of Community pharmacists, and their well trained support staff, through the pharmacies network, has yet to be tapped in some Member States.
Community pharmacists are at the heart of healthcare services, practising in conveniently accessible pharmacies, in which over half of a million people are employed.