The National Pharmacists’ Union (SNF) has expressed strong opposition to the recent reclassification of pharmacists involved with the SNS 24 service to a junior profile, a decision communicated by MEO, the service provider, according to a union statement.
This stance was adopted following an email sent on Wednesday night to all pharmacists, announcing that effective midnight on May 1st, their remuneration would be reduced. Furthermore, pharmacists would be restricted to managing only two clinical situations, losing the ability to perform comprehensive clinical triage.
The union argues that this reclassification disregards the professional journey, experience, and performance of the involved pharmacists, many of whom have contributed with high technical skill, clinical precision, and full dedication to the health response within SNS 24 from the start.
“The decision represents an unacceptable regression that disrespects professional merit, undermines the motivation of professionals, and sends a wrong political message regarding the pharmacist’s role in the healthcare system,” the SNF emphasized in the statement.
The union recalled that pharmacists were earlier recognized and placed in a senior profile this year, acknowledging their crucial role in clinical triage, medication advice, and secure patient direction.
In addition to highlighting the professional devaluation of pharmacists, the SNF condemns the hierarchical structure, under which pharmacists find themselves subordinate to nursing professionals, even in medication counseling.
“This organization is technically unjustified, professionally demeaning, and legally questionable as it violates the principle of technical and scientific autonomy enshrined for regulated health professions,” the union stated.
The SNF highlights that these decisions indicate a worrying trend towards the marginalization of the pharmaceutical profession, threatening its dignity and distinctive contribution to multidisciplinary teams.
In response, the union demands the immediate repeal of the junior profile reclassification, guarantees of pharmacists’ technical autonomy, and the initiation of a transparent negotiation process involving pharmacists’ representatives for an urgent review of SNS 24’s functional organization model.
The SNF also mentioned that it would continue to monitor the situation closely.
In March, over 500 pharmacists joined the SNS 24 Hotline after responding to a recruitment effort by the National Health Service Contact Center earlier this year.
The Lusa news agency has contacted the Shared Services of the Ministry of Health for further clarification and is awaiting a response.
[Updated at 17:21]
