MEDICINES : PRICE TRANSPARENCY REQUIREMENTS: MEPS VOTE BUT END'S NOT NEAR.

PositionMembers of Parliament - Brief article

On 6 February, MEPs adopted a report by Antonyia Parvanova (ALDE, Bulgaria) on the transparency of medicine prices, in a context where "the financial viability of national health services is under pressure from the crisis, and the ageing of the population," according to the rapporteur.

The draft rules will require national authorities to meet new deadlines and transparency requirements on pricing and reimbursement. While the European Commission proposed in a draft directive, published in March 2012, to reduce the deadline to 120 days (60 for the decision on the price and 60 for reimbursement) MEPs are calling for 180 days (90 plus 90). Equally, for generic medicines, the Commission's proposal of 30 days (15 plus 15) has been rejected by MEPs, who think that 60 days are needed (30 plus 30).

Bernadette Vergnaud (S&D, France) emphasised that it is "vital to leave national authorities enough time to negotiate," citing the...

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