“Access to medicines is fundamental to realise the right to the highest attainable standard of health. Continuity of supply and guaranteed availability of medicines are key priorities yet medicine shortages and unavailability continue to be problematic," Therese Comodini Cachia MEP said during a plenary which took place in Strasbourg during a debate on Council and Commission statements regarding access to medicines in the EU.

The Maltese MEP called for solutions driven by the EU with the commitment of governments, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders in the health sector so that patients are given the respect they deserve.

She expressed concern at the disrespect the system shows towards patients as well as medical practitioners when their patients do not have access to medications needed for the diagnosis made, adding that Europe needs to be at the forefront in making medicines more accessible by influencing the cost as well as reduce unnecessary bureaucracy when including medicines in the formulary.

“We need to stop choosing between patients by approving a medicine for a particular condition but not for another disease,” Dr Comodini Cachia said, stressing that Member States need to realise that free medicines cannot continue to be approved on a yearly quota of patients because patients do not come in fixed quotas. 

Dr Comodini Cachia’s statements were made in the context of a study published in October 2014 by the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists where Malta tops the list of countries affected most by shortages of medicines on a daily basis and at times lasting for weeks.