Recognition of specialist pharmaceutical diplomas

12.8.2015

Question for written answer E-012065-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Richard Sulík (ECR)

As part of their postgraduate pharmaceutical training, students in Slovakia and the Czech Republic can obtain qualifications in specialist areas, for example public pharmacy. Employers will sometimes explicitly request a particular specialism as a condition for employment. Employers in the Czech Republic, however, do not recognise specialist qualifications obtained in Slovakia, even though the training requirements (examinations and professional experience) for a particular field are exactly the same, although the length of professional experience varies in the two countries.

Does the Czech Republic’s attitude not amount to discrimination?

Does the EU plan to harmonise the recognition of specialist (postgraduate-level) pharmaceutical qualifications across the Member States?