In 2023, the Social Security Financing Act introduced the possibility for community pharmacists to deliver antibiotics for specific conditions without a physician’s prescription, provided that they had undergone a four-hour training program. This measure has been implemented by decree since June 2024. These specific conditions include streptococcal bacterial throat infection (group A streptococcal infection) and acute uncomplicated cystitis in women. The dispensing of antibiotics by pharmacists for these two conditions is contingent upon the positivity of a rapid diagnostic orientation test (swab test or urinary test based on the suspected condition) and the absence of any indication of severity or emergency of illness in the patient. This measure aims to support task shifting from general practitioners to pharmacists for the care of common infections, particularly in medically underserved areas where it can be challenging to secure a prompt appointment with a general practitioner. Additionally, it aims to reduce the misuse of antibiotics by ensuring that they are only delivered when the requisite criteria are met.
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