The European Court of Auditors‘ Special Report on Critical Shortages of Medicines is worth reading.
To ensure we tackle the underlying causes of shortages, ECA put forward key recommendations. Here are a few of them:
✅ Manufacturers have to report shortages on time and prevention plans need to be mandatory and enforceable;
✅ Enforcement by member states of the industry obligation to provide continuous supply;
✅ Assess the need and feasibility of coordinating national stockpiling requirements;
✅ Take action to ensure better application of the Transparency Directive (price transparency);
✅ Enhance consistency of medicine packages within the EU (names, pack sizes and labelling requirements);
✅ Better identify barriers to trade erected by member states and seek to remove them;
✅ Assess the impact of supply quotas and trade and and propose appropriate solutions.