BPhD Supports Streamlined Recognition for Foreign Pharmacists

The Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) in Germany has recently introduced a draft bill aimed at expediting the recognition process for foreign professional qualifications in healthcare occupations, including pharmacists, physicians, dentists, and midwives. This initiative is being implemented in response to the escalating shortage of skilled workers in the healthcare sector.

The proposed legislation is designed to simplify the recognition procedure, allowing applicants from non-EU countries to take a knowledge examination directly, potentially bypassing the previously required equivalence assessment. This change aims to provide a more straightforward pathway for qualified professionals seeking to work in Germany.

The Federal Association of Pharmacy Students in Germany (BPhD) has expressed its approval of this legislative initiative. They underline the necessity of a more streamlined and efficient recognition process for qualified personnel from abroad, emphasizing its significance in addressing the ongoing shortage of healthcare professionals. According to the Competence Center for Skilled Workforce (KOFA), approximately 47,400 positions in the healthcare sector went unfilled over the past two years, and this trend is expected to continue.

While the BPhD welcomes the proposed changes, they stress the importance of maintaining high standards in patient care and ensuring that the quality of services does not diminish as a result of expedited processes. Furthermore, the association has called for additional measures to facilitate the integration of foreign professionals into the German labor market. These measures include enhanced financial support for foreign trainees, such as models akin to BAföG, improved access to language courses, and the expansion of digital recognition platforms.

The BPhD has also reiterated its longstanding call for a revision of the Pharmacists' Licensing Regulation (AAppO) to align the profession more closely with current demands and to enhance its attractiveness to new entrants.