Andorra's Concòrdia Proposes 30 Amendments to Boost Pharmacies as Healthcare Hubs

Concòrdia, a parliamentary group in Andorra, has submitted around 30 amendments to the Pharmaceutical Organisation Bill aimed at strengthening pharmacies' role as healthcare facilities and enhancing patient support.

The proposals seek to position pharmacies beyond mere medication dispensing points, enabling them to offer personalised pharmacotherapeutic monitoring, particularly for patients with chronic conditions, polypharmacy, dependency, or specific care needs. Pharmacists would gain tools to identify improper medication use, dosing errors—especially among the elderly—and potential adverse reactions.

A key measure introduces the voluntary "reference pharmacy" designation, allowing users to select a preferred outlet for better treatment tracking. This choice remains revocable at any time and does not restrict access to other pharmacies.

To promote informed choices, amendments require pharmacists to notify patients of authorised, clinically suitable generic alternatives, unless clinical or safety concerns rule them out. Greater coordination with other health professionals is also proposed, including pharmacies' integration into shared information systems for care continuity, while adhering to data protection rules.

The package modernises remote sales by extending them to mobile apps and other digital platforms operated by licensed pharmacies, rather than limiting them to websites. It further mandates all pharmacies to collect expired or unused medications from households—a currently voluntary service—with the government tasked to establish safe collection, transport, and disposal protocols compliant with health and environmental standards.

Professional development features prominently, with calls for the government, in collaboration with education and pharmacy sectors, to assess regulated training or specialised qualifications amid expanding care roles.

On ownership, the group upholds the bill's cap of six pharmacies per company but restricts it to non-single-member entities, closing loopholes that could let individuals bypass the one-pharmacy limit for sole practitioners via unipersonal companies.

In sanctions, procedures would pause administrative processes if criminal proceedings arise over the same facts, awaiting a final judicial outcome to avoid parallel tracks.

The amendments reflect efforts to align regulations with current healthcare demands and pharmacies' community proximity.