NO SHORTAGE OF PHARMACISTS, EU STATS SHOW
Cyprus Mail 25 September 2020 - by Annette Chrysostomou
Cyprus is ranked number seven on the list of EU member states when it comes to the number of pharmacists per inhabitant, Eurostat reported on Friday.
Across the European Union, the number of pharmacists per inhabitant varies widely. The EU country with the highest number is Malta, where there were 129 practising pharmacists per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018. There were also high numbers in Belgium (125), Spain and Italy (119 in both).
The majority of the member states reported 50-110 pharmacists per 100,000 inhabitants, and Cyprus is one of them, with 92.
The Netherlands, with 21, was the only country below this range.
“Practising pharmacists provide an essential service to the population,” Eurostat said in its report. “This is in particular evident now during the Covid pandemic. Even while many everyday services were locked down or restricted, they continued providing services to patients. They continued compounding, dispensing and selling medicinal products that patients need and provided advice on their proper use and possible adverse effects.”