# E-DRUG: Siting policies pharmacies (cont'd) **URL:** \ **Category:** e-drug\ **Created:** [May 5, 1998, 8:35pm UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-siting-policies-pharmacies-contd/2564 "1998-05-05T20:35:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alessandra\_Corsetti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Alessandra\_Corsetti](https://talk.edrugplus.org/u/Alessandra_Corsetti)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 1998, 8:35pm UTC](https://talk.edrugplus.org/t/e-drug-siting-policies-pharmacies-contd/2564/1 "1998-05-05T20:35:51Z")
E-drug: Siting policies pharmacies (cont'd) --------------------------------------------- In Italy there are regulations on the siting of pharmacies: the number of pharmacies and the area where they can be opened are decided by local health authorities (regions). They issue and revise a map (Pianta Organica) every 2 years which represents a referral for the establishment of new pharmacies. The map has to show: - the number of inhabitants living in the commune, - the number of pharmacies the commune should have, - the area in which the pharmacies should be placed, - the number of pharmacies already existent. The criteria on which the law is based are: -DEMOGRAPHIC criteria: it is based on the pharmacy/inhabitants ratio and is prevalently chosen for urban pharmacies. In a commune with less than 12500 inhabitants there should be 1 pharmacy every 5000 inhabitants, in a commune with more than 12500 inhabitants there should be 1 pharmacy every 4000 inhabitants. -TOPOGRAPHIC criteria: it considers the distribution of the population on the territory and is prevalently chosen for rural pharmacies. -URBAN criteria: it is adopted in urban areas where there has been an important change in the viability, location of the houses and of the population without a concomitant increase of inhabitants. The main criteria is the demographic one and the adoption of the others has to be motivated. The distance between two pharmacies should not be less than 200 metres measured from door to door following the shortest pedestrian path. Pharmacies can be defined as "urban" or "rural", depending on the place where they are located and the number of inhabitants. Pharmacies placed in districts with more than 5000 inhabitants are "urban", otherwise they are "rural". Rural pharmacies in areas with less than 3000 inhabitants receive subsidies by the region, the commune and the pharmacists of urban areas. They are also exempt from paying for the premises and receive certain economic benefits as an incentive. Pharmacies in Italy are either private or public. Private pharmacies are owned by a pharmacist who must also be the manager, or by a partnership. The latter requires that each partner be a pharmacist and that the management of the pharmacy be assigned to one of the partners. It is not possible for a pharmacist to own and run more than one pharmacy. Public pharmacies are owned by the commune , which is represented by the mayor, and their management is assigned to a pharmacist. Public pharmacies appear on the "Pianta Organica" and, every 2 years, when the map is revised, the commune has the right to pre-emption. It means that 50% of new and vacant pharmacies will become public pharmacies. The law is constantly under revision and some of the points mentioned may have changed. Best regards, Alessandra Corsetti, Maurizio Bonati. Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri" Milano, Italia. e-mail: corsetti@irfmn.mnegri.it -- Send mail for the `E-Drug' conference to `e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'. Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'. For additional assistance, send mail to: `owner-e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.