[Patient therapeutic education. Points of reference and prospects]

The patient therapeutic education (PTE) was given a definition by the WHO in 1998. PTE aims to enable the patient suffering from a chronic disease, to acquire skills to manage his illness and treatment, and prevent avoidable complications, while keeping or improving his quality of life. The various programs which were developped, mainly at hospital, were uncoordinated, heterogeneous, and with variable quality. In this context, during the year 2007, the High Authority for Health (HAS) issued five documents which gave a methodological framework for development of PTE and provided tools for those who want to develop and implement such programs. Development prospects, opened by the HAS will be enriched by the recommendations of health professionals including pharmacists, and also of patients through their associations, particularly in terms of organization, quality, training, so that PTE will become an integral part of the hospital or ambulatory care of patients suffering from chronic illness.