2023-10-24 20:54:42
Luxembourg The European Commission presented this Tuesday a set of measures to avoid future crises of shortages of critical medicines in the European Union, like the one this past winter. The most prominent initiative, which will soon come into operation this October, is a voluntary solidarity mechanism between the different member states in the field of critical drugs. “We need a single market for medicines in the European Union,” said the Health Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, at a press conference this Tuesday.
The European initiative will allow countries that wish to hand over critical medicines that they have in stock and that are missing from other state administrations. Of course, participation in this collaboration network will be voluntary. As for the list of these essential drugs, it will be presented at the end of this year, but the European Medicines Agency (EMA, for its acronym in English) has already advanced that it will include some of the most key antibiotics and which have suffered more from the shortage crisis, such as those used to treat respiratory infections, such as penicillin or amoxicillin.
The European Commission has also announced that it will allow “regulatory flexibility” for member states so that they can “resort to regulatory exemptions” to help medicines reach patients on time and in a timely manner. Some of these exceptions are the extension of the period of validity of some medicines or the rapid authorization of some alternative medicines to the drug that would be more appropriate.
On the other hand, the European Commission has advanced that it is preparing guidelines on public procurement of medicines to strengthen security of supply and that it will publish them at the beginning of next year. In this sense, the community executive is also studying to go ahead with large joint purchases at the level of the European Union of antibiotics and treatments for respiratory viruses for next winter.
In addition, at the beginning of 2024 the European Commission plans to launch the Alliance on Essential Medicines, which will be a community body that will allow member states, industry and EU agencies to coordinate to deal with the shortage of medicines and take action to remedy them. It also wants to enhance the entire process of manufacturing and distribution of drugs, and achieve the longed-for autonomy of the European Union in medical matters and end dependence on China. “Guaranteeing the availability of medicines in the EU is fundamental to building a solid European Health Union”, remarked the vice-president of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas.
A winter of medicine shortages across Europe
Last winter, different administrations suffered a crisis of shortages of medicines of all kinds, and some quite common ones, especially drugs for the treatment of respiratory problems, which affect the cardiovascular system and the nervous system. Also notable was the lack of pediatric syrups such as amoxicillin and some treatments to combat diabetes. Although by now the situation is not as serious as last winter, drug shortage crises are cyclical and the European Commission fears a repeat this year.
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