Polish healthcare profession regulation

Poland is undergoing legislative developments aimed at regulating and expanding various healthcare professions.

Initial efforts focused on the Act on Certain Medical Professions, which establishes frameworks for qualifications and continuous professional development. Concurrently, a parliamentary bill proposed by the Poland 2050 group sought to regulate the dietitian profession by standardizing education and establishing professional self-government. This proposal faced criticism from some graduates who feared strict degree definitions might exclude those with related academic titles.

Following these developments, pharmacists proposed further legislative changes to the Ministry of Health. These proposals include introducing new health services within pharmacies, establishing individual and group professional practices, and granting pharmacists access to medical documentation. The Ministry of Health has characterized discussions regarding these shifts as “historic.”

Additionally, debates have emerged regarding amendments to the Pharmaceutical Law. Specifically, discussions have centered on whether pharmacists should be subject to the same advertising bans as medical professionals, with some chambers seeking to allow the promotion of preventive services and health fairs.