Health: “A novelty to make life easier for patients”… Pharmacists can now renew prescriptions that have expired for three months!

This is a measure which was already authorized in an exceptional manner but which is becoming more regulated. It was even included in the Rist law of May 19, 2023 but the implementing decree was still missing.

Decree finally published this Thursday, November 28 in the official journal which in fact allows, “exceptionally and in order to avoid any interruption of treatment detrimental to the patient's health”, the pharmacist to renew certain prescriptions expired for three months!

Thus, the decree specifies that “the community pharmacist can dispense the medicines and medical devices necessary for the continuation of chronic treatment within the limit of three months per one-month delivery, which he must then include on the order the name of each of the products concerned and that he must inform the prescribing doctor by secure means of communication.

The Minister of Health, Geneviève Darrieussecq, made this announcement on November 25 during the 36th Day of the National Order of Pharmacists. “I signed the text last week,” assured the minister, who promised publication in the Official Journal in the following days. “This is a new, very concrete solution to make the lives of our patients easier,” welcomed the minister.

Since this Thursday, November 28, the text is now official and the measure will come into force this Friday, November 29.

Very concretely, when the validity period of a renewable prescription has expired and the treatment is prescribed for at least three months, the pharmacist will be able to extend “by successive deliveries of one month” the treatment for three months. “The first relief issue must take place within the month following the expiration of the order,” specifies the decree.

The pharmacist must notify the prescribing doctor by “secure messaging”.

“We will not participate in this ersatz medicine”

Barely put into service, the measure already has its detractors since the media Dr Jérôme Marty, president of the French Union for a Free Trade Union Medicine (UFMLS), said, on his X account, that he was opposed to this novelty.

“So pharmacists will now be able to 'renew chronic prescriptions', they will have to notify doctors by email. Let me be clear, we will not participate in this ersatz medicine. Out of the question of being in the loop of bullshit that will be do,” he added rather sharply.