A few days ago, the news came that, in Avellino (Italy), a simple blood pressure check turned into a life-saving intervention. The pharmacist promptly recognized the alarm signals, activated a holter and, thanks to the regional telemedicine service, started a real-time connection with a cardiologist. The result? A patient saved from a possible fatal outcome.
The new role of pharmacies in the territory
Since the Covid period, the role of Italian pharmacies is changing. From simple dispensers of drugs, pharmacies are becoming more of local health facilities.
The change has been accelerated by recent legislative reforms which have expanded the functions of pharmacies, configuring them as “service pharmacies”, ìsuitable to provide primary health care services.
For general medical practitioners, this evolution represents an opportunity, as pharmacies become partners in the patient care pathway. They contribute to decongest outpatient clinics and offer an easily accessible first point of contact for healthcare. The approximately 20,000 pharmacies nationwide are therefore a valuable resource, especially in areas with low medical density.
More and more services in the pharmacy
Today, at a pharmacy, a patient can access screening, analysis of biological parameters, basic diagnostic tests and therapeutic adherence programs.
According to the VII annual report on pharmacies, produced by Cittadinanzattiva and Federfarma institutions, pharmacies offering services have grown significantly. For example, the percentage of pharmacies participating in colorectal cancer screening initiatives has increased from 18% in 2018 to 79% in 2024.
What can the “pharmacy of services” do for patients? It can perform diagnostic tests that once required access to health facilities, such as blood pressure monitors, cardiac monitors, spirometry, and electrocardiograms.
Pharmacy of services: the new hub of the telemedicine network
This evolution brings new collaboration perspectives for doctors. The data collected in pharmacies can integrate the clinical picture of patients, allowing for more continuous and widespread monitoring. I this way, the pharmacist becomes an ally in the early identification of abnormal parameters, in health education and in strengthening therapeutic adherence.
With the enhancement of technologies serving digital health, part of the medical services, especially those aimed at chronic patients, can be offered through telemedicine, which for patients represents an improvement in health care and better control over therapies. Telemedicine therefore becomes the new innovative and fastest growing frontier in the evolution of pharmaceutical services. In fact, according to the same annual report on Pharmacy, in 2018, 10% of pharmacies offered telemonitoring of blood pressure, while in 2024 they are more than 70%. Similarly, telecardiology has gone from 28% to over 76% and telepneumology from 1% to more than 12%.
Tele-ultrasound visits at the pharmacy: a bridge between patients, pharmacistsand doctors
For the medical community, the strong growth of telemedicine in pharmacies represents an opportunity to expand their reach, reaching patients in remote areas or with limited mobility.
In this way the pharmacy can truly become an extension of the doctor’s office. All this happens in a professional context, with the support of the pharmacist who acts as an intermediary and guarantees the correct execution of diagnostic procedures.
For the pharmacists, this means becoming real actors in local healthcare, capable of offering first-level diagnostic services in direct connection with specialists. This increases foot traffic and can further improve the relationship between pharmacist and client.
Patients, on their side, benefit in terms of convenience, speed of intervention and quality of care. Some pharmacies, such as the Farneti pharmacy in Livorno, already offer ultrasound examination services through appointment. Since ultrasound is a medical procedure, it is required in the pharmacy, as well as in home settings, thepresence of a health personnel authorized to conduct ultrasound examinations under medical prescription and responsibility.
To connect the person performing the ultrasound scan with the remote specialist doctor in real time, a stable and reliable technology is needed. The Optip platform is designed to facilitate the execution of tele-ultrasound scans, even with a pocket ultrasound, particularly suitable for first-level generalist visits. Thanks to the use of smart glasses, the remote specialist can supervise the examination from the same point of view as the person performing the ultrasound.
