ANDALUCIA pharmacies are set to start screening for colon cancer from 2026 onwards.
This new permission comes from the Junta de Andalucia who have deemed it appropriate for pharmacies to collaborate in the public health service’s early cancer detection programme.
The move came in October, during the fallout of the breast cancer screening scandal, and hopes to see pharmacies play a role in helping to speed up early detection of diseases.
‘We will launch a programme that will directly connect doctors and pharmacists through a new communication channel that will improve safety, pharmacotherapeutic monitoring and the continuity of patient treatment,’ says regional minister Antonio Sanz.
The new programme will be implemented in all pharmacies at the start of 2026 and will allow pharmacists to request the renewal of treatments for chronic patients without the need for health centre visits from March.
To ensure that these screenings, and further initiatives, run smoothly, the Andalusian council of pharmacists’ associations (CACOF) has made a firm commitment over the last decade to technology, training and research.
Changing the possibilities of Spanish pharmacists began in 2024 when a protocol between the Andalucian public health service (SAS) and CACOF was signed.
This protocol aimed to allow pharmacists to participate in more prevention programmes, health education and collaboration with the regional government.
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As part of this, new systems, such as AxonFarma which facilitates the provision of these new healthcare services, are being used to improve patient safety and public health.
Andalucia has the highest number of pharmacists in Spain with 28% of the professionals residing in the southern region meaning that its influence in the medical field is large – if colon cancer screenings in Andalusian pharmacies are a success, the initiative could be rolled out across the country.
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