Nurses’ association ‘Ordem dos Enfermeiros’ (OE) wants the government to ban chemists from simple forms of healthcare, saying chemists are putting patients’ health at risk.
The extraordinary outburst in a country that often sees the pharmacy as the first port of call in any health issue comes with OE allegations that chemists “lack competence”.
In a debate with the health regulating authority (ERS), OE spokesperson Germano Couto said the union has been getting complaints from nurses and private citizens about services provided by pharmacies “that carry risks for the general population”.
“We are not questioning the professionalism of the chemist but the issue of who is qualified to offer health services,” he stresses. “A chemist may not have these because he or she has not been trained in this sense.”
“OE’s concern,” adds Couto, “is the safety of the patient.” Thus the union is calling on the government to clarify the situation.
There would possibly be a public outcry if chemists were banned from taking blood pressure and administering injections. Hospitals and health centres are already beset by queues and waiting lists.
