No opening of the pharmaceutical monopoly, but a review of the status of certain drugs. This is what the Minister of Health advocated.
Can free stomach drugs one day be delivered to supermarkets? Marisol Touraine reiterated her position firmly on September 26, on the RMC antenna. Minister of Health defends the monopoly of pharmacists in this area but recognizes that changes are necessary.
“I am not in favor of the sale of drugs in supermarkets, she insisted. My position is that drugs should not be trivialized. The minister has been standing alongside pharmacists since the announcement of a reform of regulated professions. Proof of the complexity of the file: the Ministries of the Economy and Health have started discussions on the subject. Pharmacists are also called upon to participate in the debate: a consultation, opened jointly by the two portfolios for a period of two weeks, should collect their opinions.
“A cleaning of the list of drugs”
However, Marisol Touraine does not advocate standing still. She recognizes that changes are necessary and proposes concrete measures on self-medication: “Let us see if there are any products that are still needed today. to be called drugs, I think it is useful, ”said the Minister on RMC. “Is it necessary for Fluocaril to be sold only in pharmacies?” I think not. She also takes the example of Valda pastilles. Like toothpaste, this product is listed in the long list of authorized drugs in direct access by the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM).
The Minister of Health recommends “a cleaning of the list of drugs. »It is indeed consistent: there are mixed together creams intended to treat skin disorders (herpes, acne, etc.), products treating rheumatological disorders, from the ENT or oral sphere, but also tablets. analgesics (paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc.) and certain nicotine substitutes. In turn, the authorization of certain “free access drugs” should also boost sales linked to self-medication. In this area, France is more than behind, according to theAfipa, which represents manufacturers offering products available over the counter in pharmacies.
If some must remain drugs, because they require the advice of a health professional, others should be able to be sold outside pharmacies, believes Marisol Touraine. The monopoly on throat lozenges and other toothpastes is therefore threatened, which is not the case with paracetamol, the emblem of the sale of drugs in supermarkets.
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