FT Pharma 2013: What impact has the economic crisis had on European pharma?

Some 43% of delegates at the Financial Times Global Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Conference in London yesterday said the EU economic crisis has had “significant impact, but is recoverable” on the pharma industry.

The conference heard a panel discussion on the topic of Europe in Crisis, featuring Hungary’s Minister of State for Health Miklos Szocska. He told the audience that Hungary has not just tacked the economic effects of the crisis, but has acted to improve the health of the general population, for example by banning smoking and putting a tax on sugary drinks. He also said the government has introduced new incentives for patients, including paying them or reimbursing them for other costs, and using texting to remind them about treatment, for example in diabetes management.  “If there is not sufficient response to these issues there will be trouble,” he said.

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