“On average, a pharmacist was attacked every day in France in 2022,” he denounced in a report published this Monday by the National Order of Pharmacists. The organization received 366 reports of assaults (verbal, physical or robbery) last year, including 355 in pharmacies, six in medical biology laboratories and five in other health establishments.
If this figure is significant, it is considerably reduced compared to 2020 (584 declared attacks in pharmacies) and 2021 (427 declarations).
since 2019
“The peak of 600 declared attacks in the context of the health crisis tends to subside”, but “the data nevertheless reflect an increase of 17% compared to 2019”, warns the National Order of Pharmacists.
“This feeling of insecurity, experienced in particular at the counter by many pharmacists, makes it difficult for them to exercise”, can be read in a press release published this Monday.
The majority of these attacks (92.4%) occurred in 2022 in independent premises (excluding shopping centers). But only 35% of pharmacists have filed a complaint and in 44% of cases the professionals do not want to do so “due to lack of time, fear of reprisals or because they believe that it is not necessary.”
Attacks not related to the health crisis
“Verbal and physical violence against pharmacists is in the majority and has been increasing proportionally for the last two years,” laments the National Order of Pharmacists.
Most of these attacks (344 out of 366) are unrelated to the health crisis. Only 21 of them are linked to the use of a mask, vaccination or antigenic tests.
Two weeks ago, the National Council of the Order of Physicians revealed that at least 1,244 doctors were victims of aggression and/or violence in 2022.
Source: BFM TV
