Le Quotidien du pharmacist.- Many pharmacists still seem to be unaware of the role and functions of URPS. How to explain this ignorance?
Renaud Nadjahi.- It is true that the URPS have limited means to communicate with the profession. Thus the Ile-de-France URPS, which is the largest in France since more than 3,700 pharmacies are attached to it, has a budget of 450,000 euros, of which a third is allocated to the salaries of permanent staff and 18 % to the cost of allowances for elected officials. Also it is difficult in these conditions to launch strong actions in terms of communication which is nevertheless an important axis to develop. The tool monpharmacien.fr was one that contributed to our notoriety. We are looking for sponsors who, in the past, have been able to support us in experiments, such as that of TROD angina which we launched with the support of a laboratory. But they are now bound by the law on transparency.
Have the expectations of the public authorities with regard to the URPS changed in recent years?
Very clearly. But I would say despite them. Because with the health crisis, the pharmacy has demonstrated that it can meet screening needs with antigenic and vaccination tests and place itself among the main players in this fight against Covid. This is also the case with the flu vaccination. Also when the ARS wanted to give a boost to serialization, Île-de-France being the region the least committed to this path, it was towards the URPS and the Order that it turned . We have therefore fulfilled our mission by supporting pharmacists in responding to this new constraint. It was our role to put the means at their disposal to help them. Similarly, we also support them on the digital chapter for their secure messaging, protection (RGPD) or data backup.
Is the field of action of the URPS likely to be extended to respond to the problems of access to care in the territories?
This is a sovereign mission of the URPS. The pharmacist is always involved in access to care, but this is not valued by anyone. Thus, whether it is MDs in traumatology or nicotine substitutes, we have the products but, unlike other health professionals, we cannot prescribe them. At the same time, we must also continue to claim our role in the management of minor pathologies, and the renewal of treatments for chronic people in a specific setting, in particular in nursing homes, with information from the doctor. We are at a time when the demand of the population is such that it is necessary to release energy. Through the experiments they conduct, the URPS provide arguments to demonstrate to the public authorities that pharmacists have the capabilities. It is normal to go through this stage because the State cannot commit to everything.