FIP Calls for Stronger Support for Women and Informal Carers, Highlights Pharmacists’ Role

The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has called for coordinated action to strengthen support for women and informal carers, highlighting the role pharmacists can play in medicines management, preventive care, health education and safe transitions of care.

The call is contained in FIP’s new Statement of Policy and Call to Action, titled “Pharmacists supporting and empowering women and informal carers: From preventive care to responsible use of medicines”, adopted on 30 August 2026.

The statement recognises informal carers as people who provide care to family members, friends or neighbours with whom they have an existing relationship. Their responsibilities can range from assisting with daily activities to managing medicines, healthcare appointments, shopping, transportation and other aspects of care.

FIP notes that informal caregiving is highly gendered, with women estimated to account for approximately 80% of informal unpaid carers globally. Women are also more likely to provide intensive and long-term care, particularly for older adults.

Caregiving can create health and medicines-related risks

According to FIP, informal carers frequently support people living with ageing-related conditions, frailty, dementia, disability, mental health conditions, multimorbidity and other complex chronic diseases.

This can place carers in charge of increasingly complex medicines regimens, particularly in home-based settings where they may have limited formal support.

FIP highlights the physical, emotional and financial effects that caregiving can have when carers remain unsupported. Caregiving stress and burnout can contribute to poorer health outcomes for carers, while the complexity of medicines management may increase the risk of medication errors in the home.

The statement also notes that women and carers in conflict zones, displaced communities and areas affected by natural disasters may face additional vulnerabilities.

Pharmacists identified as key support for carers

FIP highlights pharmacists as among the most accessible and trusted healthcare professionals and identifies several ways they can support women and informal carers.

These include medicines optimisation, preventive care, health education, health literacy and support during transitions of care.

Pharmacists can also help carers understand medicines, navigate healthcare systems and identify potential medicines-related problems.

The policy calls for carers to be appropriately involved in medicines-related discussions while respecting the patient's preferences, autonomy, consent and confidentiality.

Pharmacists are also encouraged to recognise signs of carer burden, fatigue or difficulty managing complex medicines regimens and refer carers to appropriate health, social care or community support services.

Digital health creates new opportunities and risks

FIP also draws attention to the changing digital environment surrounding healthcare and medicines use.

The expansion of e-prescriptions, electronic health records, mobile applications, remote consultations and other digital health tools has created new ways for carers to access information and services.

However, the statement warns that carers increasingly relying on online sources, social media and AI-enabled tools may be exposed to medicines misinformation and other risks.

FIP therefore calls on pharmacists to support carers in using digital health tools safely, while recognising risks related to misinformation, digital exclusion, privacy, data quality and over-reliance on non-validated AI-enabled tools.

Governments urged to recognise informal carers

FIP is calling on governments and policymakers to formally recognise the contribution of informal carers through dedicated legislation and appropriate health, social and financial support systems.

It also recommends regulatory frameworks that enable pharmacists to contribute to the empowerment of women and informal carers.

Among its recommendations, FIP calls for governments to integrate pharmacists into national healthcare policies promoting equitable and affordable access to healthcare, medicines and health information.

Governments are also urged to invest in training and empowerment projects targeting women and informal carers and to develop remuneration and financing models that appropriately support pharmacist-led services.

The policy further calls for measures to address socioeconomic, educational and geographical barriers that can affect access to care.

Pharmacy organisations urged to strengthen professional support

FIP also sets out responsibilities for professional pharmacy organisations.

These organisations are encouraged to support continuing professional development that equips pharmacists to address preventive care, responsible medicines use, health literacy and safe transitions of care.

The statement recommends developing structured and accessible information materials for pharmacists, standardised screening tools to help identify the needs of women and informal carers, and inclusive digital and remote pharmaceutical care for people facing barriers to in-person services.

FIP also calls for collaboration with carer organisations, other healthcare professionals, civil society organisations and community groups.

Changes recommended for pharmacy education

The policy extends the call for action to pharmacy academic institutions and education providers.

FIP recommends that undergraduate pharmacy curricula include competencies related to preventive care and responsible use of medicines.

It also calls for education on sex-specific health differences, gender-based disparities and culturally sensitive care to be incorporated into pharmacy curricula and continuing professional development programmes.

According to the statement, pharmacists should be prepared not only to provide medicines-related care but also to respond to the wider health and social circumstances affecting women and informal carers.

FIP calls for greater support for women’s leadership

The new policy also links women's empowerment with leadership within the profession.

FIP calls for greater support for women's leadership across pharmacy practice, education and science and commits to encouraging and promoting women's leadership at the global level.

The organisation also calls for partnerships among professional, patient and consumer organisations to develop services aimed at women's empowerment and informal caregiving.

A broader people-centred approach to pharmaceutical care

The policy places informal caregiving within the wider context of health equity, gender equality and people-centred care.

FIP links its recommendations to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3 on health and wellbeing and SDG 5 on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

The statement also aligns with FIP's Strategic Plan 2025–2030 and its Development Goals relating to equity and equality, people-centred care, access to medicines, devices and services, and sustainability in pharmacy.

For pharmacy practice, the policy highlights an important dimension of medicines care: the person managing medicines at home may not always be the patient.

By supporting informal carers with appropriate medicines information, health education, preventive care and referral, pharmacists can contribute to safer medicines use while helping carers better navigate their responsibilities.

FIP's new statement therefore calls for a more coordinated approach involving governments, pharmacy organisations, educators and individual pharmacists to strengthen support for women and informal carers and recognise their contribution to individuals, communities and health systems.

The statement replaces FIP's 2018 policy on pharmacists supporting women and responsible use of medicines, expanding its focus to explicitly include informal carers and the evolving realities of home- and community-based care.

Source

International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). Pharmacists supporting and empowering women and informal carers: From preventive care to responsible use of medicines. FIP Statement of Policy and Call to Action. The Hague: FIP, 2026.

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International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP)