Practicing pharmacists can implement differentiated equipment, strictly fight the "hanging certificate"!

On August 18th, the State Drug Administration issued the Notice on Regulating the Use of Practicing Pharmacists in Pharmaceutical Retail Enterprises (Draft for Comments) (hereinafter referred to as the Draft for Comments).
The Draft for Comments proposes that, in view of the fact that practicing pharmacists are not sufficient and difficult to equip in some areas, the provincial drug supervision and administration departments may, without reducing the overall ratio of existing practicing pharmacists, formulate and implement policies for differentiated provision of practising pharmacists and set up transitional periods.
transition period, where there is a clear gap in practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical retail enterprises are allowed to be equipped with other pharmacists to assume the duties of practicing pharmacists, with a transition period not exceeding 2025.
The relevant person in charge explained that the differentiated use of practicing pharmacists refers to the actual situation of the team of practicing pharmacists and pharmaceutical technicians within the jurisdiction, combined with the operating varieties, operating scale, geographical differences and drug safety risks and other factors, without reducing the existing proportion of practicing pharmacists, for the practice pharmacists there is a clear gap in the area, during the transition period to allow pharmaceutical retail enterprises equipped with pharmaceutical technicians to assume the duties of practicing pharmacists.
In addition, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Drug Administration Law and the Regulations on the Implementation of the Drug Administration Law, other pharmaceutical technicians mainly include professional pharmacists, competent pharmacists, pharmacists, etc., with a pharmaceutical or medical-related professional background, engaged in drug-related work of professional and technical personnel.
only 460,000 pharmacists in pharmacies worldwide, according to the WHO, one-third of patients worldwide die from unreasonable medication, not the disease itself.
it is obvious that in the production, circulation and use of drugs, it is of special importance to ensure the safety of public medicine by equipping the corresponding practicing pharmacists for quality supervision and pharmaceutical services.
data released last November by the National Drug Administration's Certified Center for Practicing Pharmacists showed that more than 1.03 million people were qualified as practicing pharmacists nationwide, of whom only 460,000 were registered as practicing pharmacists in retail pharmacies.
based on the data released, industry experts estimate that the number of practicing pharmacists available can only meet 70% of the needs of pharmaceutical retail companies, which also means that we still have a very large gap in practicing pharmacists.
The Drug Administration Law stipulates that pharmacists or other pharmaceutical technicians who have been qualified in accordance with the law shall be engaged in pharmaceutical business activities.
Pharmacists who have been qualified in accordance with the law in the field of pharmaceutical business refer to practicing pharmacists, and other pharmaceutical technicians who have been qualified in accordance with the law include health (pharmacy) series titles (including pharmacists, pharmacists, competent pharmacists, deputy directors pharmacists, chief pharmacists), practicing pharmacists, etc.
In principle, pharmaceutical retail enterprises operating prescription drugs and Class A over-the-counter drugs shall be equipped with practising pharmacists, and pharmaceutical retail enterprises operating only Class B over-the-counter drugs shall be equipped with qualified business personnel who have passed the examination and appraisal organized by the drug supervision and administration department.
"13th Five-Year Plan" national drug safety plan, the number of practicing pharmacists per 10,000 population more than 4 people, all retail pharmacy main managers have the qualifications of practicing pharmacists, business practice pharmacists to guide rational drug use as an indicator.
the above data, it is not difficult to see that the gap of practicing pharmacists in China is still large.
At the "Finding the Most Beautiful Pharmacist Around" event organized by the National Drug Administration's Certified Pharmacists Accreditation Center last year, Li Chaohui, deputy director of the Registration and Management Office of the State Drug Administration's Certified Pharmacists Accreditation Center, said that at present, the reform of the pharmaceutical division is still in the process of progress, medical insurance policy and the management of practicing pharmacists have not been effectively linked, the registration rate of practicing pharmacists is low, and there is a "registered certificate" disorder.
interview, "Pharmaceutical Economics" reporter learned that in order to adjust the situation of practicing pharmacists, the State Drug Administration to strengthen the retail pharmacy practicing pharmacists equipped with the use of daily supervision, to combat practicing pharmacists "licensing" behavior.
, further research has improved the management and staffing policies of practicing pharmacists.
On the one hand, to determine the "three districts and three states" separately delineated the qualification examination of practicing pharmacists passing standards and restrict the practice of regional policies, on the other hand, combined with the actual situation, further explore and improve the practice pharmacists differentiated equipment policy.
Multi-sector joint punishment "hanging certificate" "draft for comments" pointed out that the provincial drug supervision and administration departments in accordance with the actual situation of the team of practicing pharmacists and pharmaceutical technicians within the jurisdiction, combined with the operating varieties, operating scale, geographical differences and drug safety risks and other factors, to formulate specific implementation plans, in stages, sub-regions to promote the use of practicing pharmacists, steadily improve the proportion of pharmaceutical retail enterprises practitioners equipped with the use.
the transition period, the departments responsible for drug supervision in each city and county shall strengthen the management of pharmaceutical technicians in their jurisdictions, register the situation of pharmaceutical retail enterprises equipped with pharmaceutical technicians in accordance with regulations, and establish relevant information files.
for pharmaceutical retail enterprises that are not equipped according to regulations and are not in place for rectification.
Draft for Comments, it is clear that it shall be investigated and dealt with in accordance with the law, and shall, in accordance with the provisions, reduce the scope of operation of its prescription drugs and Class A over-the-counter drugs.
The certified "registered" practicing pharmacists should be entered into the national registered management information system for practicing pharmacists, their registration certificates revoked and firmly exposed, and the "registered" practising pharmacists should be included in the "black list" of credit management, and joint multi-sectoral disciplinary measures should be implemented.
of practicing pharmacists and pharmaceutical retail enterprises is imminent.
chen Wei, deputy director of the National Drug Administration's Qualification Center for Practicing Pharmacists, also pointed out at the 2019 National Pharmacy Week that pharmaceutical retail enterprises are equipped with practicing pharmacists as required and operate and conduct business under the personal management and supervision of practicing pharmacists, which is to ensure the safety of drug use, is an international practice, and is an inevitable requirement for the development of the industry.
She said that pharmaceutical retail enterprises are the platform and carrier to realize the professional value of practicing pharmacists themselves, whether practicing pharmacists can play a good role, is the specific expression of the professional image of pharmaceutical retail enterprises, the relationship between the two is mutual promotion, the implementation of the system of practicing pharmacists and the overall goal of the healthy development of pharmacies is consistent.
Chen stressed that in the future, pharmacy classification management, drug classification management, practicing pharmacist classification management should be promoted in a coordinated and unified manner, in strict implementation of the state requirements for the provision of practicing pharmacists at the same time, in the light of national conditions to formulate the differentiation of practicing pharmacists equipped with policies.
At the same time, Chen pointed out that the retail pharmacy industry should change from high-speed growth to high-quality development, improve the level of professional services, create a professional service image, in order to maintain a good industry ecology, attract more practicing pharmacists to practice in pharmacies.
only those who are truly consumer-centric, standardized management, fine management, professional services of excellent pharmacies, in order to have better development.
The above-mentioned person in charge further explained that the policy of differentiated use of practicing pharmacists is a transitional policy based on the overall number of practicing pharmacists in China and the uneven distribution of the national conditions, provided that the policy orientation of the use of practicing pharmacists is adhered to, with the aim of steadily increasing the proportion of practicing pharmacists in pharmaceutical retail enterprises, and finally reaching the full level of practicing pharmacists.
this move is also in keeping with the spirit of the provisions on the use of practising pharmacists in pharmaceutical retail enterprises under the newly amended Drug Administration Act.
the notice on regulating the use of practicing pharmacists in pharmaceutical retail enterprises (draft for comments) practising pharmacists is a professional force to carry out drug quality management and pharmaceutical services, and is an important guarantee for rational drug use.
recent years, the State Drug Administration has continuously strengthened the construction and team building of the system of practicing pharmacists, continuously promoted the use of practicing pharmacists, and actively played an important role in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of public drug use.
, however, the current development of the ranks of practicing pharmacists is unbalanced and inadequate, and the problem of the shortage of practicing pharmacists in some drug retail enterprises is still more prominent.
In accordance with the relevant provisions of the newly revised Drug Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the Drug Administration Law), in order to regulate the use of practicing pharmacists, the relevant requirements are herely notified as follows: First, adhere to the policy of equipping practicing pharmacists, and steadily improve the level of staffing, the Drug Administration Law stipulates that pharmacists or other pharmaceutical technicians who are engaged in pharmaceutical business activities shall be qualified according to law.
Pharmacists who have been qualified in accordance with the law in the field of pharmaceutical business refer to practicing pharmacists, and other pharmaceutical technicians who have been qualified in accordance with the law include health (pharmacy) series titles (including pharmacists, pharmacists, competent pharmacists, deputy directors pharmacists, chief pharmacists), practicing pharmacists, etc.
pharmaceutical retail enterprises equipped with practicing pharmacists in accordance with the regulations is the basic requirement to maintain the safety of public drug use, but also to achieve the "healthy China" strategy and promote the industry's high-quality development of the real needs.
adhere to and improve the system of access to the professional qualifications of practicing pharmacists, and adhere to the requirements for the use of practicing pharmacists in pharmaceutical-operating enterprises in accordance with the law.
In principle, pharmaceutical retail enterprises operating prescription drugs and Class A over-the-counter drugs shall be equipped with practising pharmacists, and pharmaceutical retail enterprises operating only Class B over-the-counter drugs shall be equipped with qualified business personnel who have passed the examination and appraisal organized by the drug supervision and administration department.
In view of the actual situation that practicing pharmacists are inadequate and difficult to equip in some areas at present, the provincial drug supervision and administration departments may formulate and implement policies for differentiated provision of practising pharmacists and set up transitional periods without reducing the overall ratio of existing practicing pharmacists.
transition period, where there is a clear gap in practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical retail enterprises are allowed to be equipped with other pharmacists to assume the duties of practicing pharmacists, with a transition period not exceeding 2025.
2. To refine and implement the requirements for the staffing of practicing pharmacists, strengthen the responsibility for supervision and inspection, the drug supervision and administration departments of the provinces shall, in accordance with the actual situation of the team of practicing pharmacists and pharmaceutical technicians within their jurisdictions, formulate specific implementation plans in the light of factors such as operating varieties, operating scale, geographical differences and drug safety risks, and promote the use of practicing pharmacists in stages and sub-regions, and steadily increase the proportion of practicing pharmacists in pharmaceutical retail enterprises.
the differentiated transitional policies and implementation plans for the use of practising pharmacists formulated by the drug supervision and administration departments of the provinces shall be made public to the public in a timely manner and shall be well publicized and guided.
the transition period, the departments responsible for drug supervision in each city and county shall strengthen the management of pharmaceutical technicians in their jurisdictions, register the situation of pharmaceutical retail enterprises equipped with pharmaceutical technicians in accordance with regulations, and establish relevant information files.
to implement the "four most stringent" regulatory requirements, strictly audit and control newly started pharmaceutical retail enterprises, strengthen supervision and inspection of the equipment and on-the-job practice of practicing pharmacists (or pharmaceutical technicians), and urge them to perform their duties and responsibilities.
pharmaceutical retail enterprises that are not equipped according to regulations and whose rectification is not in place shall be investigated and punished in accordance with the law, and the scope of business of prescription drugs and Class A over-the-counter drugs shall be reduced in accordance with the provisions.
The certified "registered" practicing pharmacists should be entered into the national registered management information system for practicing pharmacists, their registration certificates revoked and firmly exposed, and the "registered" practising pharmacists should be included in the "black list" of credit management, and joint multi-sectoral disciplinary measures should be implemented.
Three. Give full play to the role of practicing pharmacists, and continuously strengthen the team building of pharmaceutical retail enterprises practicing pharmacists shall be responsible for the quality management of drugs in their own enterprises, supervise the implementation of relevant laws and regulations and norms on drug management; be responsible for prescription review and supervision and deployment, provide reasonable drug use guidance and advisory services to the public; and be responsible for collecting feedback on adverse drug reactions and other pharmaceutical work."
pharmaceutical retail enterprises should strictly implement the relevant provisions of the Drug Administration Law, while adhering to the principle of the provision of practicing pharmacists, but also to play the role of practicing pharmacists.
All regions should attach great importance to the construction of the team of practicing pharmacists, formulate relevant policies to guide pharmaceutical technical personnel to actively participate in the qualification examination of practicing pharmacists, and increase the proportion of qualified pharmacists in their jurisdictions year by year;
notice will be implemented as of January 2020.
the requirements for the use of practicing pharmacists in pharmaceutical retail enterprises are inconsistent with the requirements of this Notice, this Notice shall be implemented.
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