On 2 December 2009 the EPHA secretariat attended the public meeting entitled “A closer look at the legislative proposals on ‘information’ to patients: making the right choice for Europe” hosted by Dr Thomas Ulmer MEP (Germany, EPP) and Carl Schlyter MEP (Sweden, Greens/EFA).
The meeting was co-organised by Association Internationale de la Mutualité (AIM), Bureau Européen des Consommateurs (BEUC), Health Action International (HAI) Europe, the International Society of Drug Bulletins (ISDB), Medicines in Europe Forum (MiEF) and Mutualité Française.
Background
In December 2008 the European Commission presented two amending legislative proposals on “Information on medicinal products subject to medical prescription”, commonly referred to as “Information to Patients” proposals. The texts, which will be further discussed in the European Parliament in January 2010, would allow pharmaceutical companies to provide information to patients on prescription medicines.
Key points from the speakers
The hosts and speakers agreed that, in their current wording, the legislative proposals on Information to Patients will bring no benefit to public health.
Barbara Mintzes (University of British Columbia) and Jörg Schaaber (International Society of Drug Bulletins) showed several examples of misleading medicines advertising in print media and companies websites in Europe and Canada, some of which however formally comply with existing regulations.
Mrs. Mintzes pointed out that the proposals on Information to Patients could lead to disease-mongering, increase unnecessary prescriptions, and put safety and the sustainability of healthcare costs at risks.
Ilaria Passarani (European Consumers’ Organisation – BEUC) explained that these proposals only target a very small part of the information received by a patient. She called for a comprehensive strategy on information throughout the patient journey.
She also explained that existing neutral sources of information, such as the EudraPharm website of the European Medicines Agency which provides information on prescription medicines authorized in the EU, should be better publicised.
Cédric Diat, a representative of the Association François Aupetit (French Crohn’s disease association), pointed out that the proposal will not address two main concerns of patients: better package leaflets and the transparency of health authorities.
Anne-Sophie Parent (AGE-European Older People’s Platform) explained that many elderly people, who are main users of prescription medicines, do not have access to the internet. Better information should therefore also be provided by other means, for example improved readability of medicines packaging and leaflets.
Discussion
Axel Singhofen, a political adviser to the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, mentioned there is a lot of pressure from the media industry hoping to gain a significant new market if these proposals were to be adopted.
European Patients’ Forum Director Nicola Bedlington expressed her disagreement with the panel, explaining that the proposal should not be dropped but strongly revised, in order to keep positive aspects of the texts. She further proposed that information could be validated using the quality principle defined by the EU Pharmaceutical Forum. Her intervention raised questions of the audience regarding diverging opinions among patient groups.
Conclusion
Gilles Pargneaux MEP (France, S&D), a shadow rapporteur on the proposals in the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee, concluded that it is too early to discuss such proposals, and asked the European Commission to rethink the subject and issue a new proposal.
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For further information
– Presentations by the speakers are available on AIM website
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