EPHA welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the European Commission’s proposed pharmaceutical package (proposed Regulation and Directive). The proposed pharmaceutical package is a very positive step towards addressing unequal access to medicines across the Union as well as sky-rocketing prices of medicines and increasing shortages. Timely and equitable access to quality healthcare and medicines are crucial to ensure universal health coverage and the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems.
In this short paper, we provide targeted recommendations to the current proposal on issues related to shortages of medicines, transparency of pharmaceutical R&D costs, the paper-based and electronic package leaflets, treatment optimisation, and incentives to develop new antimicrobials and access to new and old antimicrobials.