The quality of the professional practice of community pharmacists: what can still be improved in Europe?

This article describes a research project concerning the professional practice of community pharmacists in Western Europe. In 1990 interviews were held with key figures and practising pharmacists in the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Sweden and Portugal. In 1991 a questionnaire was sent which was answered by 929 pharmacists. Concerning the quality of the professional practice it appeared that pharmacists have integrated certain structure aspects such as the use of a computer or a separate patient consultation room to varying degrees. Also concerning process aspects with regard to quality, for example the degree to which attention is given to counter work and prescription controls, there are large differences between pharmacists from the different countries. These differences between pharmacists appeared to depend upon differences in legal rules (such as the compulsory presence of a pharmacist in Belgium, Sweden and Portugal or the compulsory prescription control by a pharmacist before delivery in Great Britain), financial and economic circumstances, internal organizational characteristics of the pharmacy and the individual personal task conceptions of the pharmacist. New developments, for example in areas of patient information and computer use, seem to be followed most in the Netherlands and Sweden. General statements about differences in quality are not easily made because the community pharmacy in other countries also has certain positive aspects, such as being easily accessible (Portugal), personal involvement of the pharmacist (Belgium) and personal control by the pharmacist (Great Britain). Looking at the diversity within Europe the conclusion can be reached that the European pharmacist' does not yet exist.