The Nationalist Party said Friday that a new legal notice introduced by the government will lead to significant price increases in essential medicines, disproportionately impacting vulnerable groups, including pensioners, low-income families, and patients requiring specialised treatment.
Addressing a press conference, Shadow Minister for Health Stephen Spiteri said the measure will double licence fees for pharmaceutical agents, resulting in "hundreds of euros" in additional costs that will be passed on to consumers.
He cautioned that the rise will particularly affect small medical markets where demand is low, noting that some importers may stop bringing in certain specialised medicines altogether, including oncology treatments.
Spiteri accused the government of introducing the change without consultation and called for the immediate withdrawal of the legal notice to safeguard stability in the medicinal supply chain.
PN spokesman Ian Vassallo highlighted drastic price hikes already being reported, citing eye drops rising from €5.05 to €17 and colic-relief medication increasing from €5.05 to €9. He said these are essential items used daily by vulnerable individuals and warned that unaffordable medicine leads to serious health repercussions. "We must safeguard our patients," he said, insisting that the government revoke the measure.
Addressing the impact on the elderly, MP Paula Mifsud Bonnici said the rise will worsen the situation of the estimated 30,000 pensioners already living in poverty. She criticised the government for claiming it would not introduce new taxes while effectively imposing additional costs on medicines, especially without consultation. She stressed that the PN's priority is to ensure efficient access to healthcare for vulnerable groups.
PN MP Graziella Galea said the government introduced the notice "behind everyone's back" despite promising a budget without taxes. She warned that the measure will affect all families, particularly those with children who depend on daily medication. She reiterated that medicine is an essential good, not a luxury, and urged the government to withdraw the legal notice "as a matter of urgency".
The PN concluded that it will continue defending consumer rights and pushing for measures that guarantee accessible, reasonably priced medicines for all patients.
Ministry says changes in tariffs ensure that the Malta Medicines Authority continues to fulfil its functions
In reaction, the Health Ministry said that: "Contrary to what the Opposition claimed, the legal notice concerns a revision of the tariffs of the Malta Medicines Authority and does not include any increase in the price of medicines. These tariffs had not been revised for more than ten years."
"The changes in the tariffs ensure that the Malta Medicines Authority continues to fulfil its functions, including measures that guarantee the quality and safety of the medicines consumed by patients in Malta. Not only does the legal notice not include increases in medicine prices, but some of the tariffs mentioned by the Nationalist Party will not even apply to medicine importers and exporters in our country. In fact, these are related to services that the Authority offers to operators in third countries, including medicine that will not be used on the local market," the ministry said.
"The reality is that the amount of medicine available in our country is among the highest it has ever been, both medicine provided free of charge by the Government and medicine that can be bought on the market. The Government has always taken the necessary measures so that medicine which would not be brought to Malta due to the size of the market be made accessible to patients anyway. This work is carried out by the Malta Medicines Authority and will continue to be carried out according to the needs of Maltese and Gozitan patients."