Since the start of the week, some pharmacies have been offering to analyze your moles to detect possible melanoma. The service, which is not reimbursed, should be extended to many pharmacies across France.
Are you worried about one of your moles and you can’t get an appointment with a dermatologist? Since Monday, it is possible to have your moles monitored in certain pharmacies. This new service arrives just a few months after the experimentation with vaccination in pharmacies.
Three pharmacies of the Pharmabest group are suitable for screening, one in Marseille, the other in Alès and the last in Paris. Soon, 50 pharmacies across France will be able to offer it. The initiative was approved by the National Union of Dermatologists-Venereologists (SNDV).
An unreimbursed service
The Parisian describes the progress of this screening in a Parisian pharmacy. A room is dedicated to these tests to guarantee the confidentiality of the examination. Patients fill out a questionnaire. Then, the pharmacist uses a dermatoscope to take an image of the mole. This is sent to a platform, Screen Cancer, located in Alsace. Dermatologists then analyze the mole using the photo. The response is sent to the patient within 15 days. He has to pay 28 euros to get tested, and add 14 euros per additional mole. For the time being, this screening is not reimbursed by Social Security or by mutuals.
In France, every year, 10,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed. In half of the cases, the patients are over fifty years old. It is the most serious of skin cancers because it can quickly metastasize. When caught early enough, it can be treated very well and cared for.
An extension of the services offered by pharmacies
This novelty is part of a movement to diversify pharmacies. Next July, a decree must be published in the Official Journal to determine which missions pharmacies can perform. Since 2017, it is possible to be vaccinated against the flu in some of them in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and New Aquitaine. All you need to do is show the pharmacist a vaccination voucher or a prescription provided by the doctor.
In France, there are more than 21,000 pharmacies, but in recent years, the profession has been shaken by numerous closures. In five years, more than 900 establishments have closed their doors. These difficulties reinforce the need to diversify for pharmacists.
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