PZPPF in Brussels about critical medicines

During the conference "Critical Medicines for Health Security - Current Challenges and Future Directions," health ministers, representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament, the pharmaceutical industry and patient organizations discussed the availability of critical medicines.

The meeting organized under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU on the Critical Medicines Act was attended by the ministers or deputy ministers of health of Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Germany and Lithuania.

Deputy Health Minister Marek Kos stressed at the outset that not long ago Europe and the US produced 90% of the active substances used in pharmaceuticals, now just over 20%. - Therefore, we urgently need new instruments to support the production of critical medicines by the EU, he urged.

Deputy Health Minister Katarzyna Kacperczyk noted the importance of access to critical medicines. According to the Polish health ministry, lack of access to medicines weakens the state just as lack of weapons weakens the army. Special programs and funds are needed to encourage companies to produce critical medicines and their ingredients on our continent. The so-called Critical Medicines Act is supposed to be the answer.

Krzysztof Kopeć, president of the National Drug Manufacturers, added that increasing the production of critical medicines will not only ensure Europe's resilience to various crises, but will also have a stimulating effect on the EU economy. - The industry is ready to produce more critical drugs, but needs support to remain competitive with non-European suppliers, he explained.

He stressed that regulations on increasing drug stocks will not solve the problem of shortages, because any warehouse without supplies will one day become empty. - Stockpiling is only lowering the fever, treating the disease is increasing drug production, he pointed out.

Health security is one of the main political priorities of the Polish presidency, and ensuring Europe's resilience by securing the supply of critical medicines has become an important topic of discussion at the EU level. Participants in the meeting stressed that dependence on pharmaceutical production from outside the continent is its major strategic vulnerability, which threatens the people of the Union.

- We are vulnerable to supply chain disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions, trade restrictions or the overt use of pharmaceutical exports as weapons. In today's world, where hybrid threats extend beyond the battlefield, ensuring pharmaceutical security is not just an economic necessity - it's a matter of sovereignty and defense," stressed Grzegorz Rychwalski. He noted that building resilience requires the immediate establishment of a special EU fund to support the production of active ingredients and drugs in Europe. The fund should be used to subsidize the construction of new plants, modernize existing ones and guarantee long-term investment incentives to ensure the profitability of European pharmaceutical production.

Adam Jarubas, chairman of the European Parliament's Public Health Committee, pointed out that Poland can play an important role in ensuring the region's drug security.

Grzegorz Rychwalski emphasized Poland's strategic role as a pharmaceutical hub. - Poland has the potential to become a leading regional pharmaceutical hub, providing stability to Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltic states and even NATO troops stationed in the region. It can provide medical facilities for forces stabilizing the situation in Ukraine, he argued.

Source: PZPPF