Pharmaceutical activities in the medical establishments placed in the villages without drugstores can be practiced, as an exception, by the rural medical practitioners in conformity with the requirements of the Health Ministry. The Parliament approved on Thursday, June 12, a draft law to this effect. Pharmaceutical activities will be practiced by the medical personnel that attended specialised courses. According to the draft law authors, out of the 1227 villages provided with first medical care establishments, only 236 have pharmacists working in community drugstores. In the villages without drugstores, pharmaceutical care is provided by outlets set up by various drugstores in first medical care establishments. In these cases, the pharmaceutical activities are practiced by nurses or medical assistants authorised by contract by the respective drugstore. This practice runs counter to the provisions of the Law on Pharmaceutical Activities, which stipulates that this kind of activity shall be practiced by qualified personnel. This was the reason why such a draft law was proposed.