[The pharmacist-nutritionist: myth or necessity?]

Nutrition has taken on great importance in the health considerations of the general population. To meet expectations many fields have been called to contribute. With his multi-disciplined training the Pharmacist can and should have an important role to play. Upstream, the agro-food industry has many opportunities to offer. Our knowledge of Genetics, Molecular Biology and Botany can be a great advantage. Nutriceuticals are at the interface of nutrition and medicine. They concerns foods which have preventative or curative properties for certain illnesses. Are we going to be able to integrate into this new concept? Administered in pharmacological doses certain nutriments are indeed drugs. The Pharmacist should have a better training in Nutrition in order to be able to do his job properly. In hospitals the Pharmacist dispenses and sometimes prepares solutions for parenteral nutrition, while the biologist participates in denutrition diagnosis.