A draft EU law which aims to improve information on prescription-only medicines have been described as "controversial and provocative" by one of Europe’s top pharmacists.
A European parliament conference on Tuesday heard that possible European commission plans to change existing laws on information for patients should not end up being a "proxy form" of promotion for the pharmaceutical industry.
John Chave, secretary general of the Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU),told the parliament’s ageing intergroup event on ‘healthy ageing’, he was "not convinced" of the need to change current legislation.
He said, "If, however, the laws are to be changed, it is of fundamental importance that public confidence in the integrity of the information provided is maintained.
"The pushing of information by the industry should never be a proxy form of promotion or advertising. The sole justification for change can only be to help patients and not to grant more commercial freedom to the pharmaceutical industry."
"When this draft directive was first revealed, some people found it quite shocking because it was thought there might be information on TV or on Internet pop-ups.
"It does not go that far but it is still a controversial and provocative proposal."
Chave added that while information might be currently available via a Google search, it was important that health professionals such as pharmacists remained the "primary source" of "easily-accessible and reliable" information.
He pointed out that his organisation does not represent the pharmaceutical industry but, rather, pharmacists in some 30 European countries.
The conference, part organised by the European Older People’s Platform (AGE) and attended by MEPs, NGOs and medical professionals, was told that one in four older people were "worried" they do not take their medicines correctly and that many over-65s "often" take up to 10 different medicines at the same time.
Chave said it was "crucial" that the elderly were helped to "master" their medicines.
"Patients need and deserve high quality information, not just about medicines they are taking but alternative treatment options and healthy lifestyles."
"There is a huge amount of work still to be done in this area irrespective of whether the draft directive regarding information ever gets through."
British Socialist MEP Claude Moraes, a keynote speaker at the event and co-president of parliament’s intergroup on ageing, said, the issues raised during the debate "illustrated the extraordinary vulnerability" of elderly people.
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