Pharmacy services

Workshop on "Access to High Quality Pharmacy Services"

The European Commission has organised a workshop on "Access to High Quality Pharmacy Services" that took place on 15 October 2008. Member States and stakeholders have been given an opportunity to exchange their experiences on topics, such as high quality pharmacy services and affordability issues, which are related to the internal market for pharmacies. The workshop also discussed regulation impacting upon the performance of the internal market for pharmacies, such as territorial and ownership restrictions to the establishment of pharmacies. The dialogue focused, in particular, on the extent to which certain public interest objectives can be attained by less restrictive means than those currently in place in some Member States. It was framed around presentations of relevant studies that offer a global point of view. The workshop was a unique opportunity for Member States, stakeholders and the Commission to gain further insights into the fundamental issues with regard to the internal market for pharmacies.

• Programme of the day
• Information note

• Summary of the day
• Speech of Director General Internal Market and Services, Jörgen Holmquist

Presentations made by the speakers:

• ECORYS
• Antares Consultancy
• Leibniz University of Hannover
• ÖBIG
• Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU)
• Health Consumer Powerhouse
• European Patients' Forum
• European Association of Pharmaceutical Full-line Wholesalers - GIRP (Retail Council)
• European Union of the Social Pharmacies (EUSP)

Study on pharmacy

To evaluate how the various rules applicable to pharmacies impact on the productivity, the allocative efficiency and quality of pharmacy services in the different Member States, the Commission asked ECORYS Nederland BV to carry out a study into the sector. This study is the result of close to eighteen months work and interested parties have been invited to provide their input. It provides an analysis on how differing national laws regulating pharmacies impact on the effective functioning of the Internal Market, and therefore on the performance of the European pharmacy services sector as a whole. The study concentrates on community pharmacists in the EU-25.

• Main report
• Appendixes (PDF - 16 MB)

Infringement proceedings with regard to pharmacies