Globally and across various European nations, pharmacists possess the authority to initiate or adjust patient treatments. Conversely, within Italy, prescriptive authority remains strictly limited to medical practitioners and veterinarians. Expanding the scope of practice for Italian pharmacists to include prescribing could prove vital, particularly given the current workforce deficits that are straining the national healthcare infrastructure. This paper presents the results of a survey exploring the concept of the pharmacist prescriber, administered to pharmacists, general practitioners, and pharmacy patrons across North-Western Italy. Data collection involved structured interviews guided by questionnaires tailored to each participant group. A total of 234 pharmacists, 926 patrons, and 9 family physicians were interviewed. Most pharmacists and consumers supported implementing a pharmacist prescribing model. To offset this heightened professional accountability, pharmacists emphasized the necessity of formal legal recognition and specialized education. Pharmacists frequently cited rapid management of minor ailments or pathologies and the mitigation of unsafe patient self-treatment as primary justifications for this service. More than three-quarters of both pharmacists and general practitioners favored a prescribing framework structured around a clinical management plan. While family physicians generally expressed hesitancy toward pharmacist prescribers, they demonstrated genuine receptivity, particularly regarding prescription renewals. This investigation demonstrates a generally positive disposition among both pharmacists and pharmacy clients toward the establishment of prescribing pharmacists in Italy. Although considerable barriers persist, insights gained from established frameworks in other European and global jurisdictions suggest a viable pathway toward integrating prescriptive authority into Italian pharmacy practice.
