By Martha Moss - 30th June 2009
Commission proposals to tighten rules on the safety of medicines do not go far enough to protect the consumer, members of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) have heard.
In an opinion approved by the CoR's commission for sustainable development on Tuesday, Swedish CoR member Susanna Haby said the pharmaceutical package was biased in favour of industry.
Her opinion welcomes the initiatives set out by the commission but calls for responsibility to be moved from DG Enterprise to DG Sanco, the commission department responsible for health.
It also criticises the failure to mention the "crucial" role played by local and regional authorities - which are responsible for healthcare in many member states - in providing information for patients.
"This package of six proposals comes from DG Enterprise - not DG Sanco as would normally be the case for health-related legislation - which tells you all you need to know about who is likely to benefit from them," said Haby.
"On patient information, for example, the European commission proposes allowing pharmaceutical companies to take the lead, rather than local healthcare professionals."
Haby told reporters that the EU ban on the consumer advertising of prescription medicines should be strengthened and extended to vaccinations.
The opinion calls for more to be done to prevent false medicines entering the market, and suggests an "international convention" be adopted to strengthen sanctions against counterfeit products.
"It's very important that Europe has standards and secures the rules about how to ensure that patients don't use the wrong medicines," she said.
European commission vice president for industry Günter Verheugen said, "Everything we are doing builds on the needs and interests of patients. European citizens should benefit from safe, innovative and accessible medicines.
"They should be best informed about available medicines and treatments - since their health is at stake. We wish to restore the EU's traditional role as the pharmacy of the world.
However, Rita Kessler of the Aim group of health insurance and social protection organisations, said the commission "didn't start from the right direction because of a misguided approach".
"The pharmaceutical industry cannot be seen as the only trustworthy source of impartial information, since there is a clear conflict of interest," she said.
Ilaria Passarani, head of health issues at the Beuc European consumers' organisation, said the original package "doesn't satisfactorily clarify what is information and what is advertising".
"Consumers have the right to high quality, unbiased and comparative information about health, medicines and treatment," she said.
"The commission proposals don't meet consumers' information needs as they simply provide pharmaceutical companies greater flexibility to promote their products.
"The proposal against falsified medicines is a necessary step to better ensure patients safety but it doesn't address internet sales, the major source of counterfeit."
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