Pharmacy as a Health Center

Abstract

The concept of “pharmacy as a health center” introduced in Chilean legislation has led to multiple discussions about the implications of it, and what it represents for the Health System and for the Chilean pharmaceutical model. One way to approach the discussion is from the analysis of the concept both nationally and internationally and contrast different models that exist. We believe that the pharmacy as a concept in Chile is in an evolution with a focus on the services delivered by the pharmaceutical chemist professional through coordination or integration with the primary health care network. This could progress through the way of generating standards and evaluating the pharmaceutical services provided by professionals, allowing a new emphasis towards a public health axis rather than a commercial economic axis as it has been to date.