It continues to be patients and the most vulnerable in society who are paying the highest price for the Government's lack of planning and serious investment in healthcare, the Nationalist Party said in a statement.

PN Shadow Ministers Stephen Spiteri, Ian Vassallo, Graziella Galea and Graziella Attard Previ addressed what they said were the various shortcomings that have emerged in recent weeks within the health sector, "affecting thousands of Maltese and Gozitan citizens, including price increases in more than 100 medicines that are contributing to the rising cost of living."

Shadow Minister for Health Stephen Spiteri said that in recent days he tabled a document in Parliament, "showing that dozens of medicines have increased in price in recent weeks, "with some rising to as much as three times their original price."

The increases range from a few cents to tens of euro, from 2% to as much as 200%, a statement by the PN read. "The majority of these medicines are common products, and the Government has not denied these increases, offering only the excuse that some of the products sold in pharmacies are not classified as medicines. This is of little comfort to those who need to purchase these products for their treatment," it said.

"The Shadow Minister added that the impact of the increases in medicine registration fees introduced gradually by the Government after the budget, and without consultation, has yet to be felt, and these are expected to push prices even higher. There is a real risk that expensive medicines used by a small number of patients could become so costly that they will no longer be imported into Malta, leaving patients without access," it said.

"He stressed that medicines are not a luxury but an essential part of people's healthcare, and that responsible policies and immediate action are needed to control prices. He also noted that these increases effectively cancel out any rise granted through COLA adjustments or pensions. Stephen Spiteri called on the Government to take serious action to protect the most vulnerable from the burdens they are being forced to carry," the PN statement said.

Shadow Minister for Preventive and Primary Care Ian Vassallo spoke about how "many elderly and vulnerable individuals are being forced to choose between medicines and other basic necessities that affect their standard of living. These increases are also impacting primary and preventive care, resulting in some patients seeing their conditions worsen," the PN said.

Ian Vassallo stated that it is unacceptable that cancer patients still have to turn to the Malta Community Chest Fund to obtain cancer medicines. He said that a Nationalist Government would place cancer treatment on the government formulary so that patients would have access to it as a right. He referred to information recently published in the European Parliament "showing that the Maltese Government covers only 16% of the cost of cancer medicines for Maltese patients, compared to 100% in other countries - by far the lowest rate in Europe."

"He recalled that the PN has always placed cancer patients at the forefront, delivering the largest investment ever made in this sector through the construction of the Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre. He also noted that it was thanks to a proposal by the PN that patients are today receiving chemotherapy treatment at home, and reiterated that medicines for this disease should be placed on the formulary without delay," the statement read.

The party said that "the Government's lack of seriousness in the way it handles healthcare was also evident in the crisis that erupted at the beginning of the year regarding PrEP - a crucial medicine for sexual health used to significantly reduce the transmission of HIV."

"Shadow Minister for Equality, Civil Liberties and Public Broadcasting Graziella Attard Previ recalled that the Labour Government had been promising for years to provide this medicine, but after irresponsibly allowing existing stocks to expire, those relying on PrEP were left without access and could not even purchase it from local pharmacies. Many were forced to seek it online," the PN said.

"Following pressure from the Opposition and various NGOs, the Government announced that it would introduce PrEP and PEP free of charge, as promised in the 2022 electoral manifesto and the Sexual Health Strategy. Minister Jo Etienne Abela reacted in panic the day after it was revealed that stocks would expire at the end of January without any indication of when a new shipment would arrive, issuing a direct order to procure the medicine. The lack of planning is further evidenced by the fact that Budget 2026 included no allocation of funds for this purpose," the party said.

Graziella Attard Previ said that the PN was the first political party in Malta to call for PrEP and PEP to be placed on the national formulary. "Given that Malta has one of the highest HIV transmission rates in Europe, a new Nationalist Government would go further by strengthening preventive measures and seriously considering innovative tools such as Doxy PEP and Doxy PrEP as part of a modern and comprehensive sexual health strategy for Malta," the PN said.

Shadow Minister for Inclusion and Consumer Rights Graziella Galea said that these increases in medicine prices are adding to the cost of living, following other hikes in essential goods and services, including food and milk prices.

"This is in addition to increased charges in the financial services sector affecting banking services, insurance, intermediaries, pension scheme providers and crypto-asset operators. In recent weeks, increases in gate fees for waste disposal at Wasteserv facilities were also introduced, despite assurances that these would not affect the public," the PN statement said.

She said that the cumulative burden of these price increases on consumers is real and deeply concerning, particularly for the elderly, low- and middle-income earners, and the most vulnerable.

"These increases were not announced in any budget. Many families are having to cut back on basic necessities in order to afford medicines. This is not what the Labour Party had promised while in opposition, when it pledged to end out-of-stock medicines and even deliver free medicines to people's doorsteps. Not only are medicines not being delivered to the door; in many cases they are not even reaching the pharmacy shelves."

Graziella Galea also referred to a recent survey showing that Maltese citizens are among the highest out-of-pocket spenders on medicines in the EU. In 2023, expenditure on medicines in Malta accounted for 18% of total health expenditure, well above the European Union average of 13%. "This means that Maltese families are bearing a disproportionate share of healthcare costs. On a per capita basis, spending on medicines reached €648 - the second highest in the European Union after Germany," the statement read.