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The 2017 deregulation of pharmacies in Italy: Introducing non-pharmacist ownership
- Source :
- Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands). 124(12)
- Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Italy is the last European country to adopt policies on the liberalization of pharmacy ownership. In August 2017, the Italian government approved the law n. 124 (annual market and competition law), despite the opposition of some stakeholders. This law extended the ownership of pharmacies to non-pharmacist business partners. Law n. 124 is an important turning point for pharmacists in Italy and could lead to a general reorganization of the Italian pharmaceutical system. As has already happened in several European countries, the removal of barriers to pharmacy ownership incentivizes finance companies and pharmaceutical wholesalers to make significant investments in this sector, leading to the emergence of commercial pharmacy chains. The future of community pharmacies is uncertain and is closely linked to the fate of the current government. However, progressive polarization between independent pharmacies and pharmacies that are part of chains can already be observed.
- Subjects :
- Pharmacies
Government
Liberalization
business.industry
030503 health policy & services
Health Policy
Polarization (politics)
Ownership
Pharmacist
Opposition (politics)
Pharmacy
Community Pharmacy Services
Competition law
Pharmacists
Europe
03 medical and health sciences
Deregulation
0302 clinical medicine
Market economy
Italy
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
Business
0305 other medical science
health care economics and organizations
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 18726054
- Volume :
- 124
- Issue :
- 12
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Health policy (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....2585424f603f27e01d08088c71a6f486