There is a shortage of around 500 pharmacists in Croatia because young pharmacists are reluctant to choose a demanding profession that is crucial for patient care, representatives of professional organisations said on Wednesday on the occasion of World Pharmacists' Day.

Inflexible working hours, administrative burdens and pressure from patients are the main reasons why qualified pharmacists are not motivated to work in pharmacies, Ana Soldo from the Croatian Chamber of Pharmacists said at a press conference.

World Pharmacists Day is celebrated every year on 25 September to recognise the role of pharmacists in improving global health. This year’s theme is “Pharmacists: Meeting Global Health Needs”. The event was organised by the Croatian Pharmaceutical Society in cooperation with the Chamber of Pharmacists.

Under the current conditions, it is difficult to find a pharmacist who wants to work in a pharmacy

“There is certainly a shortage of 300 to 500 pharmacists in the system today, and it is difficult to find a pharmacist willing to work in a pharmacy under the current conditions. We are the first to face patient anger about the system, and the problems also include weekend work and being on call, as well as the low number of employees per shift,” Soldo said.

She explained that in Croatia there are less than two people per shift, while in developed countries there are five or six.

Dissatisfaction is also fuelled by the fact that salaries in pharmacies are currently much lower than those stipulated in the regulation for public and state employees, she added.

Anxiety and depression have increased by 25% in Croatia

At the press conference, a wide range of chronic diseases were presented where pharmacists can contribute to treatment.

Pain, for example, is the most common reason for self-medication, and people often misuse analgesics, a fact that pharmacists can draw attention to.

In Croatia, anxiety and depression have increased by 25%. This makes drugs for the nervous system the third most frequently used group of drugs, which are also frequently abused.

It was also found that 50.9% of Croatians suffer from arterial hypertension, with many of them not taking their medication. Furthermore, 90% of patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease do not know how to use inhalers correctly – a problem that pharmacists can help with.