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3. VISION FOR PHARMACY 2020 In this section, after we describe an
overview of the Vision, we will elaborate on
no less than ten distinct components that
impact Community Pharmacy.
To anticipate the future it is crucial to
acknowledge the past. Much has changed in
the last century. For instance, in less than
100 years, there has been a doubling of the
average life expectancy22. In addition, the
emphasis is increasingly being shifted to
quality of life rather than just longevity.
And as highlighted in the FIP Vision 2020,
living productive, meaningful and satisfying
lives depends on good health in body, mind,
and spirit.
To help achieve this goal, healthcare
professionals have been called upon to work
collaboratively with the patient as their
focus. The integration of care is nowadays
considered paramount to ensure access to
quality healthcare.
FIP challenges pharmaceutical professionals
to embrace a wide range of responses and
commitments: establishing and meeting
high standards of professional practice,
identifying and taking on significant
responsibilities in pharmacy practice
research, and initiating and building
relationships to ensure sustainable quality
healthcare systems based on efficacious and
safe uses of medicines worldwide.
Pharmacists should be dedicated to advance
patient-focused, medicine-centred
healthcare practices for all 23.
There is an envisioned future for pharmacy
where it s importance is largely
acknowledged for the added value it brings
to health care in general and medicines use
in particular.
In this future:
there is adequate access to pharmacists;
there is adequate access to quality medicines, guaranteed by a safe and
secure distribution system;
the pharmacy team optimises patient outcomes and is key to the effective,
rational and safe use of medicines;
the pharmacist delivers patient- centred services in cooperation with
other healthcare professionals, in areas
such as health promotion, disease
prevention and chronic disease
management;
pharmacies act as a gateway to the healthcare system and are central to its
sustainability;
pharmacists services are remunerated according to the expertise and
complexity of the care provided.