The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7208 p123
27 July 2002

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Health regulators object to free movement "holiday"

An alliance of United Kingdom health care regulators is objecting to draft European proposals that would allow pharmacists and other health professionals to take working holidays abroad in Europe for up to 16 weeks a year without having to register in the country they were visiting.

The newly formed Alliance of UK Health Regulators on Europe (AURE, see panel) says that if this proposal is implemented there will be no way of preventing professionals found guilty of misconduct or poor performance in one European Union member state from practising in another member state. As the proposals stand, AURE says, the relevant regulatory bodies would be unaware of the professionals' arrival within their jurisdiction.

The proposal is contained within a draft EU directive on the recognition of professional qualifications [COM (2002) 119] which is aimed at increasing the free movement of health professionals across Europe.

AURE wants to see member states retain the right to register and regulate professionals before any professional activity is undertaken. It is also objecting to proposals to abolish separate European training advisory councils for each health care profession and to water down requirements for health professionals to demonstrate adequate language skills before being able to take work in different countries.

The European proposal has also been condemned by the Consumers' Association.