Vienna’s Medical Chamber has renewed its call to allow doctors to dispense medicines directly in their clinics, arguing that the move would make treatment faster and more convenient for patients, according to Austria Press Agency.
Speaking on Wednesday, Chamber President Johannes Steinhart said the proposal is widely supported among doctors, especially younger physicians and those working in public health insurance practices. He stressed that the plan is not meant to compete with pharmacies, but to simplify what he described as the growing complexity of patient care.
At the center of the proposal is a change to Austria’s dispensing laws. Doctors would be allowed, on a voluntary basis, to give patients certain medications immediately after diagnosis. “This is not about creating in-house pharmacies,” Steinhart clarified, pointing out that such systems already exist in rural areas without nearby pharmacies.
Instead, the idea is to provide emergency or immediate care. Patients could begin treatment without delay, rather than traveling to a pharmacy that may be closed or far away. The Chamber also noted that some patients might prefer the added privacy of receiving sensitive medications, such as psychiatric drugs, directly from their doctor.
A survey of around 1,000 doctors appears to support the proposal. According to the findings, 61 percent favor dispensing medicines in clinics, with support rising to 83 percent among younger doctors. Many also said they would be willing to extend working hours to make the system more effective.
Supporters argue that the benefits are clear: faster treatment, less time lost, and greater patient satisfaction. Economic incentives, the survey suggests, play only a minor role.
However, the plan has drawn strong criticism from the Chamber of Pharmacists. In a sharp response, it warned that allowing doctors to dispense medicines could weaken Austria’s pharmacy network and harm patient care in the long run.
Vienna Pharmacists’ Chamber President Philipp Saiko said the city already has one of the most accessible pharmacy systems in the country, with no shortage of medicines. Undermining that system, he warned, could slowly damage healthcare rather than improve it.
