Celesio welcomes steps to highlight the crucial role of the liberal professions

Celesio AG welcomed today’s tabling in the European Parliament of a written declaration on the significance of the liberal professions in Europe.

Key points:
 
•  Liberal professions comprise both independent and employed professionals, united by: their academic and practical training; the rigorous professional standards to which they are required to adhere; and by the high quality of the services they provide.
 
•  Owing to the importance to the citizen of these services, it is essential that their quality and professionalism be maintained.
 
•  Continuation of these services must be ensured comprehensively, including in rural and less economically attractive areas. Examples of successful systems for the provision of Pharmacy Services in rural areas already exist in countries like Norway and the United Kingdom.
 
•  Several of the liberalised professions have made considerable progress in the removal of unjustified and illegal restrictions on the rights to exercise the professions across Europe.
 
•  Removal of these restrictions produces considerable benefits in terms of increased competitiveness, with resulting improvements in the range, quality and the cost of the services provided.
 
•  Respect for the rule of law is an essential precondition for the successful functioning of liberal professions. Celesio would call on all actors to respect, apply and enforce the rules already in place, whilst working together to develop further effective reforms.

Celesio, Europe's leading pharmaceuticals trading and service company, achieved a turnover of 22.3 billion euro in 2007. As at 31 March 2007, there were 37,462 people working for the group, nearly 4,000 of them are pharmacists. Celesio has an active presence in 14 countries. The three divisions, Wholesale, Pharmacies, and Solutions, cover the entire spectrum of the pharmaceutical sector and pharmaceutical-related services. In Wholesale, 123 branches supply more than 35,000 pharmacies day by day in twelve European countries, while 2,322 group-owned pharmacies in seven countries serve more than 500,000 customers daily. In the Services sector, Celesio provides logistics and distribution solutions to pharmaceutical manufacturers, as well as supporting them in sales and marketing.