%0 Journal Article
%T Evaluating the Possibility of Establishing a Pharmacist-Only Medicine Category in Poland
%A Youssef Hariri
%A Hassan Nasser
%A Fatima Zahra
%J Annals of Pharmacy Education, Safety, and Public Health Advocacy
%@ 3108-4850
%D 2025
%V 5
%N 1
%R 10.51847/mA76n3JtcT
%P 119-125
%X Pharmacists are assuming a more prominent role, with a growing emphasis on direct patient care and expanded pharmaceutical services. This shift is evident in Poland as well. The present study therefore examined Polish pharmacists’ views regarding the feasibility of establishing a new category of pharmacist-only medicines (POMs). Because the research was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the anonymous questionnaire (10 questions for pharmacists) was distributed exclusively online. A total of 500 fully completed responses were gathered and analyzed. The great majority of pharmacists (91.8%) expressed readiness to broaden their professional responsibilities, and 88% considered the introduction of POMs important. When asked which substances should be reclassified from OTC to POM status, participants most frequently selected ketoprofen (26.2%), sildenafil (24.8%), and mometasone (24.4%). Regarding the financing of pharmaceutical services, 54.2% of respondents favored a shared-cost model involving both the patient and the payer. The findings indicate a strong need to adopt the POM category in Poland. Polish pharmacists are eager to advance pharmaceutical care, which they believe should be partially funded by patients and public payers alike.
%U https://smerpub.com/article/evaluating-the-possibility-of-establishing-a-pharmacist-only-medicine-category-in-poland-ew0tet9j6s3nvnd