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Consumer’s access to medicines seriously hampered – BEUC position

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Consumer’s access to medicines seriously hampered – BEUC position

BEUC NEWS - 25.11.2015

Drugs not developed because they are not as profitable as others, hospitals and pharmacies running out of life-saving medicines with no alternative, unexplained price hikes, etc. These are a few examples of the hurdles EU consumers face when trying to access the medicines they need.

The European Consumer organisation has depicted this multifaceted issue in its new position paper published today and outlined the actions needed to ensure consumers can timely access safe and affordable medicines.

Consumers literally get the side effects of missing medicines. BEUC firmly believes we need an all-out effort to develop new treatments that meet our health needs, like innovative antibiotics.

When new medicines are developed, our society cannot afford to buy them. It is urgent price tags become more reasonable, ethical and sustainable. Drug makers are key to spur this change.

Anticompetitive moves are utterly unfair for consumers. For instance, some Italian consumers have had no other choice than paying the high price for a blindness medicine because companies secretly agreed to hold back the cheaper alternative. Tackling such moves must remain high on the EU Commission’s agenda.

For further information:
Our position paper

 

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Communications Department

The European Consumer Organisation
Europäischer Verbraucherverband
Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs

Pauline Constant, BEUC
Pauline Constant
Director