Increasing production

Medicines: EU wants to reduce dependence on Asia

If the EU Commission has its way, more medicines should be produced in Europe again in future.

(Bild: APA/BARBARA GINDL)

Currently, 80 to 90 percent of the medicines needed in Europe are produced in Asia. The EU now wants to put a stop to this dependency. According to the EU Commission, production on the European continent should increase and faster approval procedures should contribute to this. 

In addition to accelerated approval procedures, it should also be easier to support the production of medicinal products with public funds in future. Before the rules, which were presented in Strasbourg on Tuesday, can come into force, the European Parliament and the EU member states must approve the European Commission's proposal.

"Serious shortage of medicines"
"In recent years, the member states have been confronted with a serious shortage of medicines", according to the EU Commission. These included painkillers, antibiotics and antipyretics for children.

According to the Commission, there are many reasons why there have been supply problems in the EU in recent years. These include shortages of active ingredients. But the fact that production is concentrated in just a few countries also contributes to the problems.

80 to 90 percent from Asia
According to EU health ministers, 80 to 90 percent of medicines in Europe currently come from Asia, primarily from China. German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and ten of his colleagues from other EU countries recently warned of dangerous consequences for routine interventions and easily treatable infections if supply chains are interrupted in the event of a conflict. They are calling for part of the multi-billion euro upgrade plans to be spent on drug safety.

Relief for the healthcare system
The law should also relieve the burden on medical staff. "There are people who spend fifty percent of their working time just looking around: Where can I get something, where can I get a medicine that might be usable as an alternative?" said MEP Peter Liese (CDU). According to Liese, relocating the entire production of a medicine to Europe would cost money, "but I am convinced that the bottom line is that the healthcare system will save money."

German pharmacists want to be allowed to suggest alternatives themselves
Gabriele Overwiening, President of the Federal Union of German Pharmacists' Associations, spoke out in favor of pharmacists being allowed to suggest alternatives for out-of-stock medicines themselves in the future. Until now, this has required a prescription from a doctor. Patients sometimes have to visit the doctor and pharmacy several times before they receive a suitable medication. The Austrian Pharmacists' Association has also been calling for an improvement in the security of supply in this country for some time.