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Pharmacists lose monoploy

In a bid to reduce the social security deficit, the French minister of health, Roselyne Bachelot has declassified nearly 250 medicines, making them available over the counter as of 1 July 2008. The measure will allow dispensaries to display medicines in front of the till and will be sold freely, without the need to pass through a pharmacist’s hands.

“This measure will allow us to inform customers about these medicines and their safe usage, but also open the pricing structure up to competition,” confirmed Bachelot. She also assured pharmacists that this measure was not the first tentative step towards full commercialisation of medicines. Instead, she claimed, it was a way to protect against selfmedication and and excessive patient autonomy.

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