The executive is continuing its work to “expand the skills” of certain health professionals. In this sense, as Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced this Thursday, August 31 in Rouen, pharmacists are now authorized to prescribe antibiotics to patients with cystitis – urinary tract infections – or angina, as soon as a test to confirm the bacterial origin of the disease will be carried out.
The pharmacist will thus be able to “deliver directly” the antibiotic, to “promote access” to these routine care acts. The challenge is once again to unclog doctors’ offices. Since the beginning of August already, pharmacists can prescribe and administer certain vaccines, such as the flu or certain reminders of compulsory vaccines. In mid-July, the National Order of Pharmacists had in fact deemed it “essential” to continue expanding their missions for “rapid and simpler care” of patients, in view of “the difficulty of access to doctors”.
Caregivers divided
“This is excellent news for patients”, rejoiced Eric Myon, secretary general of the National Union of Pharmacies of France (UNPF), invited Friday, September 1 on France Inter. “It will be an opportunity to help the French to have access to effective care”, he continues, welcoming the possibility of having “immediate care” while avoiding “the misuse of antibiotics”, which will not be prescribed only in case of bacterial infection. For its part, the MG France doctors’ union, the leading union among general practitioners, sees it as a “hidden measure”. “This does not solve the problem of access to the attending physician”, insisted Agnès Giannotti, president of the union with franceinfo.
At the same time, the executive announced a total of 1.1 billion euros in salary increases for caregivers, in particular in favor of night work, Sundays and public holidays. After a summer when emergencies were on the razor’s edge, due to the shortage of caregivers, the response of the executive to try to stave off the crisis was awaited at the turn by the world of health.