EPF has worked hard to ensure that there is enhanced emphasis on patients’ access to medicines, alongside discussions on cost containment, and innovation, and raised the following issues.
EPF’s key messages:
• Recognise the importance of the empowered patient and a holistic approach to his / her disease management that will result in cost benefits during the course of the patient’s journey.• Ensure availability of medicines and avoidance of the current ‘postcode lottery’ and huge differences between and within the EU Member States.• Explore the idea of an EU ‘standard’ of investment in healthcare as a percentage of GDP, using experiences and agreements in relation to development cooperation budgets (bearing in mind the fundamental inequalities relating to pricing and reimbursement policy across the EU Member States)• Place particular emphasis on the availability and affordability of orphan drugs• Involve representative patient organisations in regulatory decisions, using the model that has been established by EMEA.