Community pharmacy services in Portugal.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the status and outline the trends of community pharmacy services in the Portuguese healthcare system.

FINDINGS

The legal framework for Portuguese pharmacies includes geographic and demographic criteria for opening pharmacies and restricting ownership to pharmacists. Since 1975, pharmacy owners have been organized under one association, the Portuguese National Pharmacy Association, which has dealt with pharmacy development over the past 20 years. Securing the economic sustainability of pharmacies was the first milestone. Investing in information software and communication technologies and modernizing the architecture of pharmacies was the next step. Then, professional services such as point-of-care measurements, drug waste management, and needle exchange services were developed. The methadone substitution program was introduced at a later date. Finally, major comprehensive services, including disease management/pharmaceutical care programs, were implemented.

DISCUSSION

All Portuguese pharmacies are independent, which means that the decision to provide different services and the extent to which they are attained vary from pharmacy to pharmacy. Recent political changes seem to reinforce the need to pursue the strategies already defined-to expand the traditional scope of pharmacy business to a wider range of health services.

CONCLUSIONS

Achievements that have been accomplished and strategies that are in place reflect a high level of organization and unity among Portuguese pharmacies. From a global perspective, pharmacies are reorganizing to be able to compete against other possible agents and are preparing to expand their scope of intervention.