Vigenin: Health is a right, not a privilege. Ensuring access to medicines for all citizens

“Health is a right, not a privilege. Only through more solidarity, competition and price transparency can we build a single market for medicines that works for all Europeans.” Together with colleagues from the European Parliament, industry representatives and consumer organisations, he presented his vision – how Europe can deliver more affordable and sustainable healthcare systems.

“Problems with access and affordability of medicines are not new, but in recent years they have become more acute and more visible. It is good that they are now at the centre of political attention”, Vigenin pointed out. He believes that the European Union has a unique opportunity to improve access to medicines and make treatment possible for all. “With the revision of the pharmaceutical legislation and the proposed Critical Medicines Act, we are redesigning the framework that will regulate medicines in Europe for future generations,” he commented. Vigenin believes that the right approach can ensure affordability and availability while promoting innovation that reaches all European citizens.

The MEP believes that the provision and affordability of medicines can be improved and thus ensure a better use of public funds. “Increased competition and greater price transparency can help achieve these goals, as well as looking at ways – how to leverage the role of the different players in the market so that everyone contributes to the affordability of medicines. “He believes that the best return on public spending comes from providing the medicines patients need, independent

Kristian Vigenin drew attention to the inequality in access to medicines between different parts of Europe: “Too often we see that patients in large member states receive new therapies months or even years before patients in smaller countries, often from Central and Eastern Europe. In my home country Bulgaria, for example, the time to market access is significantly longer than in many other countries – in fact the longest in the whole EU – over 2 years. Many therapies are also more expensive than in other Member States. This imbalance is unfair and undermines the spirit of solidarity in the European Union. Healthcare may be a national competence, but equitable access to medicines is a moral and political responsibility that we must all share.”

The MEP thanked Affordable Medicines Europe for the partnership and all the participants – Yannis Natsis (ESIP), Ancella Santos (BEUC) and Margrit Keyzer (Affordable Medicines Europe) – for their valuable input on the topic.