Partnerships for medicines access and drug pricing feature at European Health Forum

Speaking at European Health Forum Gastein, which took place in Austria last week, European Commissioner for Health Vytenis Andriukaitis called for a new partnership between pharmaceutical companies and European Union member states to ensure access to medicines while securing ​the ​future​ of bio-pharmaceutical​ innovation.

“Last year the Commission proposed an agenda to support member states in improving their health systems. Within this agenda, accessibility was identified as one of the three main pillars of health systems, together with effectiveness and resilience. It is time to have transparent open discussions including all stakeholders to build up sustainable systems,” the Commissioner explained. On access to innovative medicines he said that “there is an increasing interest among member states to reflect jointly on how to increase patient access to innovative medicines.” He announced the creation of a new working group to look at ​"​new financial models."

The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (​EFPIA) and its members are keen to engage in the debate and to partner with payers to deliver outcomes driven, ​sustainable healthcare. This requires a shift in focus from immediate budget impact to long-term, sustainable improvements in patient outcomes and increased efficiency.