EU Pharmaceutical Package - An Opportunity To Demonstrate Commitment To The Safety Of Europe's Citizens

The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), of which the Irish Pharmaceutical Helathcare Association (IPHA) is a member, today urged the European Parliament to make the European Commission's proposals for safe, innovative and accessible medicines for European citizens a priority. Enterprise Commissioner G¨¹nter Verheugen will meet today with the Parliament's Health Committee to make their initial exchanges on the recently launched European Commission's Pharmaceutical Package.

 

Ahead of this exchange of views, Brian Ager, EFPIA's Director General, called upon the Parliament and Member States to act decisively and to make the issue of patient safety a priority; "It is the responsibility of EU decision-makers to ensure safety for its citizens; this exchange of views provide the platform for the European Parliament to demonstrate their commitment to this duty of care."

 

The hearing, which will mark the beginning of the Parliament's review of the Commission proposals, is expected to be one of the few remaining occasions for discussion before the election of a new Parliament. "This is a pivotal meeting; we have already experienced delays in getting these measures out, this is the opportunity to re-energize the process and give it the momentum it deserves" added Mr Ager.

 

The Commission's proposals, welcomed by EFPIA for their recognition of the importance of the pharmaceutical sector to Europe, were announced in December 2008. The package of measures includes three separate legislative proposals; on modernising pharmacovigilance to improve the safety of medicines; on improving patient safety by reducing the infiltration of counterfeit medicines into the supply chain; and on improving patient access to high-quality health and medicines information.

 

The proposals have to be discussed by both the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers as part of the co-decision procedure before the proposal can be translated into law.