Two pathologies, angina and cystitis, will soon be able to be treated directly in pharmacies. The government wishes to authorize pharmacies to deliver the antibiotics necessary to deal with these benign diseases.
Pharmacies will soon be allowed to prescribe certain antibiotics. It was none other than the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, who announced this new measure intended to improve access to care and the quality of life of caregivers. But beware, the list of antibiotics that can be delivered without a doctor’s prescription is very limited, it only includes drugs prescribed to treat cystitis and angina. Two common conditions that are benign and can be bothersome or painful.
The prescription of antibiotics by pharmacies will not happen without rules. Pharmacists should perform a rapid diagnostic orientation test (TROD) to confirm the bacterial origin of the infection, as antibiotics are ineffective and useless against diseases of viral origin. The TROD can detect the presence of bacteria in the urine or in the throat. If the test is positive, the pharmacist can then prescribe antibiotics.
Although announced and promised by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health, Aurélien Rousseau, the measure will not come into force immediately. It will be proposed, like other measures, in the next Social Security financing bill which will be presented to Parliament in September. It is once the text has been voted that pharmacists will be officially authorized to prescribe antibiotics.
Cystitis and angina are two common pathologies, which affect a large number of people each year. Cystitis is a urinary tract infection that causes pain in the lower abdomen, frequent urges to urinate and a burning sensation when urinating. Sore throats are infections of the tonsils and pharynx, which cause sore throat, fever and swollen glands.
These pathologies are generally benign, but they can be bothersome and painful. The government wants to speed up access to care for these pathologies. It should also provide relief to doctors, who are the only ones who can currently issue a prescription for these illnesses.
The measure would also be part of a plan to fight against antibiotic resistance which aims to reduce the number of unnecessary prescriptions for antibiotics. According to a report on the regulation of health products published on August 29, of the “6 million antibiotic prescriptions due to angina, only 2 million are justified”.
This announcement also has an economic objective, because a report by Medicare estimated that it “would represent savings of around 40 million euros in 2024, then with an increase in progressive recourse, of 25 million additional euros in 2025 and 2026”.
Some healthcare professionals criticize this measure, as they point out that pharmacists are not doctors. They would therefore not be able to make a precise diagnosis and prescribe the most suitable antibiotics for each patient despite the presence of a test.
