EU to propose new pharmaceutical laws to address medicines shortages

European Commissioner for health and food safety, Stella Kyriakides: 'We have taken concerted action at EU level to address the issue of medicines shortages.'

The EU will propose new pharmaceutical legislation in two weeks to address medicines shortages and security of supply

European Commissioner for health and food safety Stella Kyriakides said medicines shortages were among the topics discussed during a meeting with health ministers in Brussels on Tuesday

“We have taken concerted action at EU level to address the issue of medicines shortages, through the European Medicines Agency,“ she said, explaining its mandate has been strengthened.

“We need to go on working together to ensure that critical medicines are available to all patients and health systems across the EU. To this extent, we will be proposing in about two weeks, the new proposal on the pharmaceutical legislation.” 

She added this will aim to address “the long-term issue that involves access to medicines and security of supply".

"Hopefully this will help to mitigate shortages in the future," she added.

Speaking at a press conference after the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meeting, she said medicines must be available, accessible, and affordable.

“Every citizen no matter where they live in the EU must have access to the medicines they need, accessibility,” she said.

“We want to support the European pharmaceutical industry so they can innovate and produce medicines in the EU and remain globally competitive. And affordability, it is essential that innovative medicines are affordable for citizens and health systems.” 

The legislation is being proposed for the benefit of patients, but has to balance benefits for the industry, she said.

Irish shortages

In Ireland, the national medicines shortages list now shows 246 items out of stock, according to the Health Products Regulatory Authority. This includes seven types of amoxicillin antibiotics and 35 different solutions for injection to treat a wide range of illnesses.

Ms Kyriakides also warned that the pandemic is still with us.

“We now have 17m people within the EU who have been affected by long covid in the last two years,” she said. “This is a number which is continuing to increase.”

She went on to say: “It has an impact, of course, on the quality of life of those it affects, but also on societies and economies.” 

The EU is planning to set up a network of centres of expertise for this condition in Europe. This is in addition to €110m funding for research into the causes and treatment of long covid, she said.

It is not yet known how many people in Ireland have long covid, with an HSE survey launched this week to begin assessing this number.