[REVISION HISTORY]

Expansion of pharmacy healthcare roles in Italy

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2026-09-19 07:46 UTC → 2026-09-19 13:26 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The role of pharmacies in Italy is transitioning toward becoming comprehensive community health hubs. Initially, pharmacies began offering expanded services such as vital sign monitoring, rapid testing, nutritional counseling, and support for managing chronic therapies to improve medication adherence. This evolution has progressed into formal national initiatives. New organizational guidelines from Agenas and Federfarma aim to integrate pharmacies into the broader healthcare network through telemedicine services, including video visits, telemonitoring, and teleconsultation, with a particular focus on improving accessibility in rural areas. Additionally, new national standards have been established for personalized medication management, allowing pharmacists to assist patients by repackaging prescriptions into single-dose blister packs. Under the ‘Farmacia dei Servizi’ initiative, these services are now being implemented at scale. In the Campania region, specifically within Naples and its province, over 1,000 medical services were performed within days of the program’s launch. These include electrocardiograms (ECG), cardiac Holter monitoring, and blood pressure Holter monitoring, where results are validated remotely by physicians and shared with primary doctors. Riccardo Maria Iorio, President of Federfarma Napoli, noted that these services help “reduce the burden on local health authorities (ASL) and shorten waiting lists.” This transformation is increasingly framed as a response to Italy’s aging population and declining birth rates. Andrea Mandelli, President of the Federation of Italian Pharmacists' Orders (Fofi), has emphasized that the profession has moved “beyond simple medication dispensing” to include diagnostic support, such as vaccinations and blood glucose monitoring, and personalized services through galenic laboratories. Mandelli noted that synergy between pharmacists and doctors is vital to address demographic shifts and comply with Dm77 regulations to reduce physician bureaucracy. In the Lombardy region, the expansion of these roles continues with plans to include vaccinations against HPV and diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.

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