Pharmacists
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To practise as a pharmacist, you need a licence issued by the Ministry of Health and Social Security.
To obtain such a licence, you must satisfy the profession's qualification, ethics, good repute, and physical and mental health requirements.
Who is concerned
If you wish to practise as a pharmacist in Luxembourg, you must be a national of:
- an EU Member State; or
- a State of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway), or Switzerland; or
- a third country.
If you are a third-country national, you must also:
- have a valid residence permit; or
- have been granted international protection.
If you are banned (temporarily or permanently) from practising in the country where you last practised your profession, you cannot practise in Luxembourg either. The same applies if disqualification proceedings are currently under way against you.
Prerequisites
As a pharmacist, you must:
- hold a Luxembourg or foreign diploma giving you access to the profession of pharmacist;
- satisfy the ethics, good repute and physical and mental health requirements applicable to your profession;
- have the linguistic abilities which are necessary to carry out your profession in Luxembourg;
Preliminary steps
Recognition of foreign qualifications
The recognition of foreign diplomas is not required if your diploma:
- was obtained in an EU Member State;
- conforms to EU standards;
- corresponds to one of the diplomas listed (see Annex V, point 5.6.2 of European Directive 2005/36/EC).
If you obtained your qualification in a non-EU country, you must obtain prior recognition of your qualifications in another EU Member State. Such recognition must entitle the holder to practise in the Member State in question:
- on an equal footing with the holders of a diploma specified in Annex V of Directive 2005/36/EC; and
- in accordance with the conditions and criteria stipulated in Article 44 of the Law of 28 October 2016 on the recognition of professional qualifications, as amended (loi modifiée du 28 octobre 2016 relative à la reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles).
Required language skills
You must have the linguistic abilities which are necessary to carry out your profession in Luxembourg.
If your mother tongue is not French, German or Luxembourgish, you must provide proof of your language skills in order to be authorised to practise.
The minimum level of language proficiency required in French or German is Level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The level can be proven by any means such as:
- a copy of the training certificates obtained in one of these 2 languages;
- proof of professional experience in a French- or German-speaking country.
If you cannot supply any of the above proof, you must provide a level B2 certificate of language proficiency from an approved examination centre.
In Luxembourg, the approved examination centre is the National Institute for Languages Luxembourg (Institut national des langues Luxembourg - INLL).
Costs
Applications for the licence to practise carry a fee of EUR 450.
When applications are made online through MyGuichet.lu, the fee must be paid online. The EUR 450 fee must be paid by credit card at the end of the procedure, and is mandatory to complete the application. Therefore, if you have already made the payment by bank transfer, you should send your application by post.
Note: fees will not be reimbursed if the Ministry of Health and Social Security refuses to grant the licence to practise, or if you withdraw your application.
How to proceed
Applying for the licence to practise
You can apply for your licence to practise online via MyGuichet.lu.
The application procedure can be accessed:
- with authentication using a LuxTrust product or an electronic identity card (eID); or
- without authentication.
The procedure with authentication has several advantages compared to the procedure without authentication. In particular, it allows you to temporarily save any data that you have already entered so that you can access it at a later date.
Once you have submitted your application, you will receive any related messages/notifications by email.
Supporting documents
You must include the following supporting documents with your application:
- if you are a national of an EU Member State or of a European Economic Area (EEA) state: a copy of a valid identity document; or
- if you are not a national of an EU or an EEA member state:
- a copy of a valid residence permit; or
- a document certifying that you are a beneficiary of international protection;
- an extract from the criminal record of your country of residence (no more than 3 months old);
- a certificate of good mental and physical health issued by a licensed doctor (dated less than 3 months prior to the application);
- a copy of the diploma in pharmacy;
- if the diploma was obtained in a third country, a copy of the certificate of recognition of the diploma and of the licence to practise as a pharmacist in another EU Member State;
- a certificate of good character issued by the Order of Pharmacists (dated less than 3 months prior to the application);
- a curriculum vitae;
- if your mother tongue is not French, German or Luxembourgish, you must provide proof of your language skills.
Translations of documents
Any documents that are not drawn up in French, German or Luxembourgish must be accompanied by their French, German or Luxembourgish translation produced by a sworn/certified translator.
Processing the application
Once the file is complete, the Ministry of Health and Social Security forwards it to the Medical Board for assessment.
It can take between 3 weeks and 3 months for the Medical Board to formulate its opinion.
After the application for the licence to practise (or the application for renewal) has been examined, the decision is sent to you by post.
To speed up the processing of your application, you should ensure that you have added all the required information and supporting documents to your file.
Lapsing of the licence
Your licence to practise will lapse if:
- you do not start practising your profession in Luxembourg within 2 years of the issuance of the licence;
- you have ceased your activity in Luxembourg for more than 2 years and transferred your domicile outside of Luxembourg.
Lapsed licences to practise can be renewed upon request.
Applying to renew the licence to practise
The licence renewal application procedure is the same as the initial licence application procedure.
This can be done online using MyGuichet.lu (see 'Online services and forms').
Once you have submitted your application, you will receive any related messages/notifications by email.
Your licence renewal application must be accompanied by the following supporting documents, along with their translations where applicable (see above):
- if you are a national of a European Economic Area state (EEA): a copy of a valid identity document; or
- if you are not a national of an EEA state:
- a copy of a valid residence permit; or
- a document certifying that you are a beneficiary of international protection;
- an extract from the criminal record of your country of residence (no more than 3 months old);
- a certificate of good mental and physical health issued by a licensed doctor (dated less than 3 months prior to the application);
- a certificate of good character issued by the Order of Pharmacists (dated less than 3 months prior to the application);
- an up-to-date curriculum vitae.
Possibilities of appeal in the event of refusal
If the application is refused, the applicant may appeal the decision. The appeal must be filed with the administrative tribunal within 1 month of being notified of the decision.
Obligations
Register of Pharmacists
As a reminder, the contact details of all pharmacists are listed in 2 registers:
- the professional register kept by the Minister for Health and Social Security;
- the register maintained by the Medical Board.
You must be entered in the registers within one month of starting your practice.
You are also required to update your details in these registers if your situation changes (practice address, email address, telephone number, etc.).
Information
As soon as you start your practice you should acquaint yourself with the public health and social legislation applicable in Luxembourg, as well as the applicable code of ethics.
Liability insurance
If you practise in Luxembourg, you must have civil liability insurance to cover professional risks.
Using the title of 'Doctor'
It is possible to work as a pharmacist in Luxembourg without having to use the academic title of 'Doctor' or 'Dr'.
However, if you wish to use this title, you must register your diploma with the Ministry of Research and Higher Education.
The title 'Dr' may only be used by pharmacists who have obtained a diploma entitling them to use the academic title 'Doctor/PhD' after having defended a doctoral thesis. This diploma must be recognised as the equivalent of level 8 in the Luxembourg Qualifications Framework (Cadre luxembourgeois des qualifications - CLQ).
You must then send a copy of the ministerial decree confirming the registration to the Ministry of Health and Social Security, which will then update the details in the professional register.
Sanctions
Your disciplinary, civil and criminal liability may be incurred if, owing to insufficient language skills, you make a mistake in the performance of your duties.
You could risk imprisonment and a fine if:
- you illegally use the title 'pharmacist'; or
- you illegally practice the activities of pharmacist and misuse the title.
Requesting duplicates
A copy of the licence to practise can be obtained for a fee of EUR 10. Applications should be made by post or email to the Ministry of Health and Social Security, and should include:
- proof of payment of the EUR 10 fee; and
- a copy of your identity document.
The fee must be paid by wire transfer to the following account:
IBAN: LU13 1111 0011 4679 0000
BIC: CCPLLULL
Name of the beneficiary: Administration de l’enregistrement, des domaines et de la TVA
Reference: DUPLICATA + the professional's name
Online services and forms
Who to contact
Health professionals - Medical professions
-
Ministry of Health and Social Security Health Professionals - Medical professions
- Address:
- 1, rue Charles Darwin L-1433 Luxembourg Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 247 85 505
- Email address:
- professions.medicales@ms.etat.lu
- Website:
- https://m3s.gouvernement.lu/en.html
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Further information
Legal references
-
Directive 2005/36 du Parlement européen et du Conseil du 7 septembre 2005
relative à la reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles
- Code de la santé
-
Loi modifiée du 31 juillet 1991
déterminant les conditions d'autorisation d'exercer la profession de pharmacien
-
Loi modifiée du 28 octobre 2016
relative à la reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles
-
Règlement grand-ducal du 17 février 2017
relatif à la reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles
-
Règlement grand-ducal modifié du 14 janvier 2013
fixant les conditions et les modalités de la prestation de services du médecin, du médecin-dentiste, du médecin-vétérinaire et du pharmacien, ainsi que des professionnels de santé
-
Règlement grand-ducal modifié du 14 janvier 2013
fixant la procédure à suivre pour obtenir l'autorisation d'exercer les professions de médecin, de médecin-dentiste, de médecin-vétérinaire et de pharmacien
