La Sociedad Española de Farmacia Clínica, Familiar y Comunitaria (SEFAC) is calling for the creation of a specialty in community pharmacy that regulates specialized healthcare training and allows pharmacists to provide healthcare services with accredited professional competencies.
This was highlighted at the colloquium ‘Specialty in Community Pharmacy: A Necessity?’ held at the scientific-professional conference organized by SEFAC in Oviedo under the slogan ‘Community Pharmacy: A Healthcare, Scientific, and Specialized Profession’.
The conference was attended by a hundred professionals and featured the participation, among others, of the Director of Health Care and Evaluation of the Health Service of the Principality, Óscar Evaristo Veiras; the President of SEFAC, Vicente J. Baixauli; the President of SEFAC Asturias, Irene Jaraiz; and the President of the Official College of Pharmacists of Asturias, Alfredo Menéndez.
During the meeting, it was emphasized that the paradigm shift in the socio-health field and the new demands of patients make this specialization necessary, which would align community pharmacists with other primary care professionals.
The debate addressed the advantages, opportunities, and possible resistances to its implementation. SEFAC argues that this specialty should not be mandatory to practice, and proposes to validate the title for those who demonstrate a minimum professional trajectory, as has been done in other healthcare disciplines.
The scientific society has also demanded that the title be counted as a merit in transfer competitions, pharmacy openings, access to job categories, or salary improvements. Specialization would allow for the provision of professional pharmaceutical services with a solid training base that is comparable to the current healthcare specialization model in medicine, nursing, or hospital pharmacy.
SEFAC is working on the development of a map of professional competencies that will define the scope of this specialty. The document will be presented soon.
The conference is part of the series of meetings that SEFAC holds in its territorial branches and will conclude on June 28 in Ourense. During the event, the President of SEFAC, Vicente J. Baixauli, highlighted that the conference coincides with the 25th anniversary of the organization. He advocated for the healthcare role of community pharmacists and reaffirmed the society’s commitment to scientific evidence and specialized training.
The President of SEFAC Asturias, Irene Jaraiz, pointed out that community pharmacy has undergone «profound transformation» in the last 25 years and emphasized the need to continue advancing with a «decisive commitment» to training.
The conference program included scientific sessions on adherence in diabetes, vaccination in adults, pharmaceutical indication, chronic venous disease, hypertension, safe medication use, smoking cessation, and other common pathologies in the community setting.
