Medicines policy is currently controlled by the Commission's directorate-general for enterprise and industry, which last year published the controversial "pharmaceutical package” on drug safety, counterfeit medicines and information to patients.
DG SANCO, the EU executive's health and consumer directorate, is responsible for other aspects of European health policy, although competence for health budgets remains at national level.
In a letter to EU leaders and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, health lobby groups the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), the Association International de la Mutualité (AIM), and BEUC, the EU consumer organisation, said the restructuring of the EU was an ideal time for a major shake-up of health policy.
Health should become the "main driver" of pharmaceutical policy at EU level by giving the lead role in medicines to a health-focused directorate within the Commission, according to the letter, seen by EurActiv.
The groups, which between them represent over 170 organisations, said health ministries across the EU manage pharmaceutical policy, and Brussels is out of line with the policy framework in most member states.
"Pharmaceutical policy is an integral part of public health policymaking. Medicines form a major part of treatment measures and are therefore of key importance in safeguarding health. Access to safe, effective and high quality medicines is a human right. Therefore, pharmaceutical policymaking should put health and human rights at its core," the letter reads.
Responding to the call, the pharmaceutical industry said its preference is to continue working within the current framework.
"The pharmaceutical industry is simply a manufacturer of medicines and, via its investment and research efforts, it is a dynamic sector of the European innovation economy. Therefore it seems logical that we continue to work with DG Enterprise to ensure that what we do benefits Europe as a whole, given its pivotal role in driving innovation," said a spokesman for the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).
"That said, we fully support the work of DG SANCO, and value our constructive relationship with them," EPFIA added.
