The 2017 deregulation of pharmacies in Italy: Introducing non-pharmacist ownership.

Italy is the last European country to adopt policies on the liberalization of pharmacy ownership. In August 2017, the Italian government approved the law n. 124 (annual market and competition law), despite the opposition of some stakeholders. This law extended the ownership of pharmacies to non-pharmacist business partners. Law n. 124 is an important turning point for pharmacists in Italy and could lead to a general reorganization of the Italian pharmaceutical system. As has already happened in several European countries, the removal of barriers to pharmacy ownership incentivizes finance companies and pharmaceutical wholesalers to make significant investments in this sector, leading to the emergence of commercial pharmacy chains. The future of community pharmacies is uncertain and is closely linked to the fate of the current government. However, progressive polarization between independent pharmacies and pharmacies that are part of chains can already be observed.