Plenary Session: Shortage of medicines - how to address an emerging problem

Shortage of medicines - how to address an emerging problem

I voted in favour of this report because it brings up a topic with extraordinary relevance, such as the old and structural shortage of medicines, exponentially aggravated by the pandemic that is plaguing the world, also stating some crucial measures to reverse the current situation.

The European Union has an undesirable dependence on third countries for access to essential medicines, medical equipment and active pharmaceutical ingredients, which are essential for the treatment of diseases with a high mortality rate, such as cancer, heart disease or nervous system disorders.

Consequently, measures like the creation of a European reserve of medicines of strategic importance for health care at European level, embodied in a joint reserve of priority medicines and vaccines, with harmonized prices, allowing Member States to quell the respective supply problems, appear to be crucial to overcome the worrying current panorama based on needs that have increased 20-fold in the last twenty years, which puts several patients in danger and undermines the health services of Member States.

Share this post