There has never been a better time to be a pharmacist, a meeting of European OTC medicines market stakeholders was told on June 5.

John Chave, secretary-general of the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union, told the 50th annual meeting of the Association of the European Self-Medication Industry (AESGP) that the future looked bright for pharmacy, but that self-care must be fundamental to the delivery of more services.

Pharmacy must, like other healthcare professions, respond to the changing healthcare environment and evolving patient needs and it was “essential” that self-care had a place in new models, said Mr Chave. “Self-care is the future. Unless you’re part of that future, our profession won’t be able to go in the direction it wants.”

John Chave: "essential" that self-care had a place in new models

Pharmacies had many advantages as a healthcare resource, with 98 per cent of European citizens able to reach a pharmacy within 30 minutes and a shortfall of GPs predicted in many EU countries. With evidence showing that up to 30 per cent of GP visits could be unnecessary and pharmacy consultations proved less costly, it was widely believed across Europe that the pharmacy interface was under–used. Some countries were starting to support a wider range of pharmacy services – Belgium had just introduced a discreet counselling service and Ireland had a successful pharmacy vaccination service, for example.

Evidence suggested that patients “overwhelmingly” preferred to access self-medication in pharmacies. Some countries were developing a service approach to self-care, such as Scotland’s minor ailments service. And a recent study in Germany found that almost 20 per cent of pharmacist-patient interactions resolved self-medication problems such as inappropriate product and dose.

Pharmacy income had been severely cut in many EU countries since 2010, and pharmacists were increasingly likely to be paid for services rather than simply margin on product supplied. A benefit to this was that it would help to protect pharmacists from falling product prices.