Community Pharmacy Network Value in Enhancing Healthcare Access and Efficiency

A landmark study underscores the pharmacy network value in Portugal, revealing how community pharmacies deliver accessible care, reduce pressure on the National Health Service (SNS), and generate significant economic and environmental returns. With a presence in every municipality, these pharmacies have become essential partners in delivering proximity healthcare while strengthening territorial cohesion.

Geographic mapping shows 82 % of the population lives within five kilometres of a pharmacy, an advantage that surpasses access to health centres or hospitals, especially in interior regions. This physical closeness translates into more than 174 million annual patient interactions, with 57 % of people turning first to a pharmacy for mild symptoms and 44 % avoiding an SNS visit as a result.

High Trust Fuels Service Expansion

Satisfaction scores average 4.51 out of 5, exceeding other health providers, while 75 % of citizens report high or complete confidence in pharmacists, who operate at twice the European density. Seasonal vaccination programmes alone administered 2.2 million doses in 2024–2025, with pharmacies handling over 70 % of eligible influenza and COVID-19 vaccines and cutting average travel distance in half.

Quantifying the Pharmacy Network Value

Beyond direct care, the pharmacy network value appears clearly in economic multipliers. The sector generated €3.985 billion in turnover in 2024, contributed €3.23 billion to GDP (1.12 % of the national total), supported 53,000 jobs, and delivered €1.214 billion in tax revenue. Each euro of pharmacy output creates €3.21 in total economic activity and sustains 2.45 jobs across the economy. Conservative estimates also show €34 million in annual SNS savings from vaccination services alone, plus the avoidance of more than 1,500 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions.

Evidence-Based Path to Wider Reimbursement

Health economics and outcomes research (HEOR) should broaden its lens to capture these societal, fiscal, and environmental benefits rather than focusing solely on narrow payer costs. According to the Ordem dos Farmacêuticos strategic assessment, updating administrative prices and reimbursement contracts for minor ailment management, chronic therapy renewal, and expanded vaccination capacity would unlock further savings while advancing equity and territorial cohesion objectives.