The European Union has published a list of essential “critical medicines” to address frequent shortages and ensure consistent supply across member states regardless of size.
The initial list includes 200 pharmaceutical substances, created after the review of 600 existing formulations. It will be updated annually.
To improve availability, the EU is encouraging cooperation among member states, enabling countries experiencing shortages to procure drugs from nations with available stocks.
The EU’s Critical Medicines Alliance aims to benefit smaller states, including Cyprus, which often struggle with stock levels and affordability. Shortages in recent years were largely caused by the European pharmaceutical industry’s reliance on third-country raw materials.
Elena Panayiotopoulos, Cyprus’ Director of Pharmaceutical Services, explained, “The Alliance is a consultative mechanism that brings together all stakeholders with transparency and methodology, aiming to identify priorities for action, find possible solutions to policy issues, and manage shortages of these medicines.”
The effort will include strengthening EU drug production capacity, creating European stockpiles, and aligning funding to tackle shortages. Panayiotopoulos emphasized the priority placed on medicines whose absence disrupts treatment and endangers patients.
“As a small state, we often experience shortages related to the size of our market to some extent. The solidarity mechanism already being piloted certainly benefits Cyprus and, above all, the Cypriot patient. In addition, let us also remind you of the European Regulation ‘HTA’, which will come into force in 2025 and will provide Cyprus with the possibility of a common clinical assessment, which will help Cypriot patients access innovative treatments and provide effective medicines, as it will benefit from ready-made assessments carried out in collaboration with other member states,” stated Panayiotopoulos.
