The EU has the opportunity to address the twin problem of increasingly frequent medicine shortages and skyrocketing prices for new medicines through its ongoing pharma reform.

Both of these problems are becoming more pressing, as our society ages, more people fall into poverty, growing competition for public money across different policy areas and pressure increases on national health budgets to meet our medical needs.

The Parliament and EU Member States must improve a Commission proposal which makes positive steps but needs to go further to substantially change the situation on the ground.