Needs in the European Region in order for pharmacy to deliver breakthroughs for better primary healthcare have been described in a report released by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) recently.
The report summarises the key messages from a conference for the European Region, which facilitated mapping and prioritisation of pharmaceutical practice, service, education and workforce development needs in the context of primary healthcare.
At that conference, pharmacy leaders and pharmacists representing 37 countries in the region committed to delivering better primary healthcare through pharmacy, and the report presents findings from a survey of FIP member organisations conducted between June and September 2020 to evaluate national pharmacy priorities and strategies.
The findings include that support for the Declaration of Astana to achieve universal health coverage through high-quality, safe, comprehensive, integrated, accessible, available and affordable primary healthcare for all is aligned with current pharmacy programmes and strategies in 71 per cent of responding countries.
However, the report also highlights common issues in the everyday lives of pharmacists that need to be addressed, such as the capability to facilitate change through technology. “With this report, we have assessed the status quo and suggest the next steps to take the primary healthcare agenda forward.
This will support pharmacy leaders in Europe and beyond as a roadmap for action to transform primary healthcare,” said FIP CEO Dr Catherine Duggan. The FIP Regional Conference for the European Region report is available at https://www.fip.org/file/4840.
