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In response to the difficulties of access to health products by patients, 14 associations are publishing “The prescription of civil society for a new medicines policy. Guarantee access, control prices”. A forum intended for public decision-makers.
Guaranteeing patients access to the medicines they need is a necessary, even vital battle for many French people. But faced with the inadequacy of medicines policies to public health needs, and the numerous shortages of medicines in France, 14 associations decided to act: on May 13 they published a civil society ordinance, the objective of which is of “defend a health system based on the needs of patients and sustainable access to health products.
From research to legislation, all phases must be optimized
The authors of this order thus present in this document a critical observation accompanied by proposals to move towards concrete solutions on a national scale.. Through 15 articles, the authors of this order are interested in all aspects of medicine policies: from fundamental research to the loss of democratic control over the use of public resources, including the revision of European pharmaceutical legislation. or access to thetherapeutic innovation.
What the associations are asking for as a priority is “a better transparency and regulation of the pharmaceutical market.
And their order is intended “a resource both for political and administrative leaders, as well as for the media, civil society, sick people and users of the health system, as well as for industrial players”.
The “ordonation from civil society, for a new medicines policy” East available in full online.
Mobilization to guarantee the right to health for all
As announced in the press release, this work is part of the ongoing mobilization of civil society on the price and access to medicines in France, which began ten years ago.
- In 2014, a new treatment for hepatitis C, sofosbuvir (Sovaldi), arrived on the market. Its price, too high for health insurance, led to the State setting up an unprecedented system of rationing and selection of patients likely to receive this new drug;
- In the years that followed, the French market became the scene of the successive arrival of drugs at ever higher prices. Several associations of patients, caregivers and consumers are meeting in 2018 to jointly write a white paper “Medicines and therapeutic progress: guaranteeing access, controlling prices. “
“Six years later, we can only note that the recommendations for greater transparency in the pharmaceutical market, and in particular for strengthening price and quality control of innovative medicines, have not been implemented.”
For equal access to care for all, the debate must therefore continue relentlessly, believe the associations involved.