Pharmacists from Lanzarote and La Graciosa will work in coordination with technicians from the island's council to implement various measures and launch strategies that will improve social well-being and promote the health of residents on both islands. The agreement, signed by the President of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, and the President of the COFLP, Loreto Gómez, and managed by the counselor for Social Welfare and Inclusion of the Cabildo and the representatives for Lanzarote and La Graciosa, Marci Acuña and Alicia Wildpret, includes collaboration on social policies such as addiction prevention, mental health promotion, and the detection and prevention of gender-based violence. Furthermore, the agreement outlines that the role of pharmacies as accessible, safe, and health-promoting spaces will be strengthened, and that mutual training and advice on social welfare, community care, and inclusion will be promoted.
Betancort pointed out that the agreement allows for the incorporation of 45 pharmacies in Lanzarote and the pharmaceutical dispensary of La Graciosa into a care model that goes beyond dispensing medication. “The pharmacy is a point of direct contact with citizens, with the capacity to identify vulnerable situations and provide information on socio-health resources,” indicated the president, who announced his intention to continue this model in the coming years.
For his part, the Minister of Social Welfare and Equality explained that the protocol will allow the pharmacy network to actively collaborate in prevention and information policies, reinforcing the reach of public campaigns to the population. Acuña highlighted that the trusting relationship between pharmacists and users facilitates access to key information in areas such as mental health, addiction prevention, gender-based violence, and social inclusion.
Alicia Wildpret, spokesperson for Lanzarote and La Graciosa of the COFLP, pointed out that “this agreement formalizes work we have already been doing, but the most important thing is that pharmacists are included in the Island Strategy for Accessibility and Inclusion of the island council, whose objective is to guarantee equal opportunities, universal accessibility, and social participation for all people. Pharmacies,” Wildpret stated, “are the most accessible healthcare establishments for the population, and we want to improve this accessibility by adapting to the needs of all groups. We aspire to greater quality in accessibility to advance inclusion.”.
Quality of life
This agreement between the main island institution and the island's main healthcare services network was created to improve the population's quality of life, both from a social and health perspective. Although it begins with very specific objectives, it is expected that pharmacies and pharmacists will become, with the help of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, spaces and professionals trained to facilitate integration and accessibility.
In this first agreement, the Canary Islands Cabildo's commitment is summarized as follows: advice on accessibility and inclusion strategies, and support for vulnerable groups; development of informative and campaign materials on addiction prevention, mental health, and gender-based violence; training for pharmaceutical personnel in accessibility, inclusion, and community health; and collaboration in the development of campaigns within the National Health Promotion Strategy.
For its part, the COFLP will disseminate campaigns and materials for the stated purposes, participate in training activities organized by the council institution, and promote the role of pharmacy as an active agent in community health and inclusion.
The protocol includes four specific actions for 2026: the “Pharmacy and Mental Health” and “Addiction Prevention” campaigns; the initiative “Gender Violence: Pharmacy as a Safe Space”; and the program “Accessible and Healthy Pharmacies – Health Promoting Island.” All of these will be developed in coordination between both institutions and aligned with the National Health Promotion Strategy and the Network of Healthy Islands and Cities.
