Experts agree patients should receive more health-related information 

Some of the recommendations of the high-level group have already been taken on board in the review of the EU's pharmaceuticals legislation, which ended with the Council's final go-ahead on 11 March (see also EurActiv's LinksDossier: ). These improvements in the EU's legal framework relate to quicker access to innovative medicines; building conditions for a more competitive generic and non-prescription medicines market; and improved post-marketing surveillance [pharmacovigilance].

A number of other areas will still need particular attention. These include:

• development of regular competitiveness and public health indicators across the EU;
• generation and sharing of information on the "relative effectiveness" of health technology;
• reducing the time which elapses between the granting of marketing authorisation and pricing and reimbursement decisions;
• enhanced information to patients;
• incentives for research in order to maintain the EU as a preferred location for innovation.

 

A number of speakers pointed to the decrease in R&D investment in the EU. While in 1990, investment in the pharmaceuticals sector exceeded that of the US, by 2003, investment in the US was 30 per cent higher. Another speaker noted, however, that despite the upsurge in investment, the productivity in research has been dropping in the US. Some speakers underlined the fact that innovation should not be taken for granted and that instead sufficient incentives should be provided for industry to innovate.

Jean-François Dehecq, Vice President of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) highlighted the fact that the issue is not the competitiveness of EU pharmaceutical companies but rather the competitiveness of the EU environment as a home for future technologies. The same speaker lamented the fact that the pharmaceuticals market does not function as a single market due to national price controls. Rory O'Riordan, President of the European Generic medicines Association (EGA) said an EU equivalent to the USA's National Institutes of Health should be created which would provide funding for European research into the development of new pharmaceutical products. Albert Esteve, President of the Association of the European Self-Medication Industry (AESGP) said that advertising should be allowed for self-medication products and that market forces should be allowed to decide on the appropriate price levels for such products.

High-level government representatives from different Member States warned that industry's drive for short-term profit-maximising will not go down well with citizens. Ulla Sc hmidt, the German Minister of Health and Social Security cautioned that innovative value and therapeutic value do not always overlap. Sometimes a small percentage of benefit results in a much higher price which means that only the richest might benefit. The health ministry representatives agreed that the unnecessarily high levels of medicine consumption should be discouraged.

A recurring theme in the discussion was the need to provide patients with improved information on medicines. Most speakers agreed that this should not take the form of direct to consumer advertising.

Angela Coulter, Chief Executive of the Picker Institute said she was opposed to market-based considerations when dealing with information to patients. The selection criteria for providing information should be driven by public health considerations. Relaxing medicine advertising rules would distort public health priorities. At the same time, patients should be provided with more reliable information so that they can become active participants in their own healthcare.