Doctors and Pharmacists: Colleagues or Competitors? Expert Council Resolution

Division of the professional competencies of doctors and pharmacists is especially relevant due to increasing seeking medical advice by population from a pharmacy rather than a medical organization. This trend is driven by a shortage of physicians, difficulties in scheduling appointments, and long waiting times for consultations. Pharmacists are forced to go beyond their competencies, posing risks both to patients and to the professionals themselves, who are not authorized to diagnose diseases or prescribe treatments. The easy accessibility of overthe-counter medications, the vast amount of online health information, and aggressive pharmaceutical advertising contribute to the misconception that a physician’s consultation is not essential before taking medications. Selfmedication increases the risk of adverse reactions and severe consequences. Therefore, doctors and pharmacists must collaborate to address this issue.
Lack of communication between specialists is another challenge. Physicians prescribe treatments without always considering the availability, cost, and alternatives of medications in pharmacies. In turn, pharmacists may suggest substitutions without a complete understanding of the patient’s clinical condition. In addition, their legal status in consulting is limited, since they can only inform about pharmacy products, which limits their role in disease prevention. On December 19, 2024, as part of the International Congress "Therapy and Preventive Medicine", the All-Russian Conference "Doctors and Pharmacists: Colleagues or Competitors?" was held. Experts discussed pressing issues and proposed solutions. The key theses of the Expert Council’s resolution are presented in this article.

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