Reimbursement should not hinder access
All members of the EU need to look at their systems for paying for medicines to see how they can prevent delays to patients getting new medicines and support innovation in the pharmaceutical industry.
This was one of the conclusions drawn from a meeting hosted by the UK
at the end of last year to consider how the EU could maintain its position
as an international leader in pharmaceutical innovation and manufacturing.
The meeting, attended by representatives of European governments, pharmaceutical
companies, trade associations, regulators and patient groups, was held
against a backdrop of declining growth in investment in pharmaceutical
research and development in Europe and an increasing competitive challenge
from Asia.
Other conclusions were that governments need to understand better how
their policies affect business, reduce regulatory burdens while maintaining
patient safety and ensure that standards of best practice are levelled
upwards across the region.
Publishing a transcript of the meeting at the end of last month (PDF 890K), health minister Andy Burnham said: “A strong competitive
innovative pharmaceutical industry brings huge health benefits to patients,
not
only delivering
medical advances in the treatment of diseases such as cancer, but also
improving and maintaining health.” Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry director general Richard Barker added: “It is extremely
positive that the UK is taking a leading role in alerting Europe to its
decreasing competitiveness in the pharmaceutical industry.” |
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Pharmaceutical Journal
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