Health Systems in Transition - Hungary - World Health Organization ...

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Health systems in transition Hungary
The pharmaceutical retail market has two main segments: (1) retail units
serving the general public (called open-access public units) and (2) retail units
serving inpatient care (called closed-door units). The two segments can and
do overlap in everyday practice, for example in inpatient care. Four types of
pharmacies are distinguished by law (2006/8):
1. Public (open-access) pharmacies (called community pharmacies in the
academic literature). This is a general type of pharmacy that provides
the full scope of pharmaceutical services, dispensing prescription-only
medicines, magistral preparations, non-prescription (over-the-counter)
medicines and nutritional supplements to the public. It must be managed
by a pharmacist with the right to operate a pharmacy and to carry out
managerial functions. A range of staffing, material and IT requirements
are specified by law (2007/3).
2. Branch pharmacy. This type of pharmacy operates as an affiliate unit of
a community pharmacy and can be established in areas without public
pharmacies. Professional requirements and other standards are less
stringent for these pharmacies.
3. Institutional (hospital) pharmacy. The main function of this type of
pharmacy is to supply medicinal products for inpatient care in a hospital,
but hospital pharmacies can have community pharmaceutical retail units,
as well. Originally, these units were classified as restricted (or “closed
access”) pharmacies because they were allowed to serve only discharged
patients and hospital staff. These restrictions were eliminated, however,
in 2006 (2006/8).
4. Single-handed pharmacies (pharmacy run by a physician). These are
actually not pharmacies in the strict sense of the word, but rather a service
provided by a family doctor whose office is located in a remote area
lacking a community or branch pharmacy. Family doctors are allowed to
supply pharmaceuticals only to patients who are enrolled in their registry,
with the exception of emergency cases. Single-handed pharmacies run
by physicians have contracts with community pharmacies in order to
administer the pharmaceuticals prescribed and sold.
The number and main types of pharmacies are shown in Table 5.1.