The Malta Federation of Industry (FOI) said it had held a “positive meeting” with Health, Minister Louis Deguara and Competitiveness and Communications Minister Censu Galea on the registrations of medicines in Malta.

The FOI has, and will continue, to stress that the locally implemented regulatory legislation should be one that honours the country’s EU commitments and guarantee access to affordable medicinal products of acceptable quality, safety and efficacy, but that is also tailored to the realities of the local economy.

The federation believes that the current local model of registration, although not yet fully fine-tuned, has made progress since its inception.

The FOI urged the government not to adopt any alternative solutions without properly and holistically considering their impact on the nation, including the country’s image of credibility and reliability in regulatory, industrial, and financial circles.

In view of this, and other issues arising due to this current debate, the FOI presented to the ministers the document it had previously submitted to the Prime Minister that outlines national policy recommendations aimed at resolving the current problems regarding the accessibility and availability of affordable medicinal products. The FOI delegation also presented the ministers with the official FOI comments on the draft legal notices relating to Prescription Rules and Fees of the Medicines Authority.

During the meeting, the discussion focused on less costly registration procedures without destabilising or downsizing the Medicines Authority, and the importance for any manufacturing process concerning medicinal products to take place under licensed Good Manufacturing Practice conditions.

The FOI officials, who were led by president Adrian Bajada, also stressed on the importance of a level playing field for all operators in the sector.

The federation urged the ministers to take the FOI comments and recommendations presented in the various FOI position documents into consideration during further discussions conducted on the accessibility and availability of medicines in Malta.