| Here are the main elements of the campaign posted
on our website from July 2002, and last updated on 15 November 2005.
• "Priority Medicines for the Citizens
of Europe"
• The most important changes
in the new legislation
• The legislative framework
that will apply to medicines in the enlarged Europe has been adopted
• Second reading at European Parliament: the big push from
pharmaceutical industry lobbies
• For a policy
on medicines that puts patients first
• 'Added
therapeutic value'
• We don't want 'secret
remedies'
• Excessive protectionism
for some drug companies is unacceptable
• Getting
ready for EU Parliament second reading
• The
European Council of Health Ministers partly agreed with the Parliament
• European Directive on Medicines: we must remain vigilant!
• An appeal to Ministers: don't forget the fundamentals!
• The European Commission counter-attacks with its
second draft Regulation
• The initial direction
of the Council of Ministers
• The governments
involved
• Members of the European Parliament
opt for public health
• Lobby the European
Parliament!
• A decisive autumn
•
Texts of the petitions
• Medicines
policy in danger |
 |
 "Priority
Medicines for the Citizens of Europe" (18 November 2004)
Position
statement by the Medicines in Europe Forum on the Dutch EU Presidency initiative
For further information: Click here |
|
The
most important changes in the new legislation (1 July 2004)
We list
the most important changes affecting patients and health professionals, comparing
the new Directive and Regulation with the previous wording, and pointing out the
most negative proposals that were rejected.
For further information: Click here |
|
The
legislative framework that will apply to medicines in the enlarged Europe has
been adopted (1 January 2004)
The four key players of the Forum (patients
groups, family and consumer bodies, mutual insurance systems, and health professional
organizations) come back on the positive and negative decisions in the adopted
texts.
For further information: Click here |
|
Second
reading at European Parliament:
the big push from pharmaceutical industry
lobbies
(1 December 2003)
Useful amendments have been adopted.
Other amendements protecting the pharmaceutical industry endanger health care
systems.
For further information: Click here |
|
For
a policy on medicines that puts patients first
(1 December 2003)
Knowing which are the active ingredients of a drug, being informed on the added
therapeutic value of a new drug, benefiting from a compassionate use programme
when it is vital, reporting an adverse effect, contributing to transparency of
agencies by joining their board, these are a few of patients needs.
For further
information: Click here |
|
Information
on "added therapeutic value" must be publicly accessible (15 November
2003)
New drugs appearing on the market should have been compared to available
treatments for the same condition. Information on "added therapeutic value"
is essential for patients, health care providers and those who pay for medicines.
For further information: Click here |
|
We
don't want 'secret remedies'(1 November 2003)
Patients must know
exactly what drugs they are using. The international non proprietary name (INN)
of each active substance must appear on the packaging, the patient information
leaflet and the advertisements.
For further information: Click here |
|
Excessive
protectionism for some drug companies is unacceptable (15 October
2003)
If amendments excessively prolonging commercial exclusivity for drug
companies were voted, it would have huge consequences on health care systems in
all EU member states. This unjustified escalation must be prevented.
For further
information: Click here |
|
Getting
ready for EU Parliament second reading (1 September 2003)
The
Medicines in Europe Forum intends to convince the Parliament, by next autumn,
to defend these amendments that the Council did not take on board.
For further
information: Click here |
|
The
European Council of Health Ministers partly agreed with the Parliament (15
June 2003)
On June 2 and 3, 2003, the European Council of Health Ministers
examined the draft Directive and Regulation on medicines for human use
For
further information: Click here |
|
European
Directive on Medicines: we must remain vigilant!(1 May 2003)
On 2-3
June 2003 the European Council of health ministers will give an opinion on the
Directive and Regulation that will form the legal framework for human medicines
throughout the European Union in years to come. The wording of these texts will
have enormous implications for patients, health professionals, and health insurance
systems (social security and mutual insurance).
The Medicines in Europe Forum
recalls the areas in which the European Directive on human medicines must be reinforced.
For further information: Click here
|
|
An
appeal to Ministers: don't forget the fundamentals! (1 March 2003)
The working party preparing the decisive meeting of the Council of Ministers on
2-3 June 2003 is meeting regularly and productively, but several key matters concerning
public health have not yet been taken into account.
The Medicines in Europe
Forum recalls the areas in which the European draft Regulation on human medicines
must be improved.
For further information: Click here
|
|
The
European Commission counter-attacks with its second draft Regulation (15
January 2003)
The Commission rejected many of the amendments voted by the
European Parliament, including important amendments supported by Medicines in
Europe Forum, of which la revue Prescrire is an active member.
For further
information: Click here
|
|
Initial
direction of the Council of Ministers (15 December 2002)
Initial direction
of the Council of Ministers does not contradict options of Members of Parliament.
For further information: Click here
|
|
Governments
involved (1 December 2002)
December 2002: representatives of Member
States within EU Council of Health Ministers work on the draft Regulation, then
on the draft Directive, before the second reading in European Parliament due in
2003.
For further information (in French): Click here
|
|
The
European Parliament opts for public health at first reading (1 November
2002)
On 23 October 2002, European Members of Parliament in Strasbourg placed
European citizen's interests uppermost, rejecting the bulk of the draft Directive
and Regulation on medicinal products for human use prepared by the European Commission's
DG Enterprise, which was behaving like spokepersons for industry. The Parliament
adopted texts placing drugs firmly within the field of public health.
For
further information: Click here
|
|
Lobby
the European Parliament! (15 October 2002)
On 2 October 2002 the Committee
on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy of the European Parliament
adopted several amendments favouring public health. But key items were rejected
thanks to industrial lobbies.
For further information (in French): Click here
|
|
A
decisive autumn 2002 (1 October 2002)
Many European Members of Parliament
clearly perceived the risks linked with the draft Directive and Regulation; scrutiny
of the texts and the numerous amendments (more than 600) delayed voting by the
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy of the European
Parliament.
For further information (in French): Click here |
|
Read
the petitions (14 July 2002)
Many European Members of Parliament have
not yet had the time to examine the relevant texts. Others, influenced by the
powerful industrial lobby, remain to be convinced that patients' interests must
be placed uppermost, and ministers of Member States must be made more aware of
the stakes involved.
For further information: Click here |
|
|
| Medicines
policy in danger (14 July 2002)
For an independent analysis of the
proposed changes to European medcines policy, under the influence of the industrial
lobby and the guidance of the European Commission's Enterprise Directorate, download
la revue Prescrire's file, free of charge
For further information: Click here
|
| © La revue Prescrire |
