Farmaindustria and its Portuguese counterpart, Apifarma, have presented today, by means of a joint statement, the ‘Integrated Strategies for the Impulse of the Pharmaceutical Industry, compatible with the sustainability of National Health Systems’. This presentation was made public at the Hispanic-Portuguese Business Summit, held in the Portuguese city of Vidago on June 3rd and 4th.

This joint statement, undertaken by the National Trade Associations of the Spanish and Portuguese pharmaceutical industries, aims at highlighting the values of the pharmaceutical sector as an ally for public healthcare systems and modern societies, while stressing their strategic importance for the future. In both countries, the established industry is a source of qualified employment, it is stable and provides high productivity, it is very competitive in foreign markets and is leader in R&D.

The document underlines that the budgetary adjustments -which both countries have experienced since 2010- have caused profound impacts in the pharmaceutical sector, with reductions of public pharmaceutical expenditure down to levels which have not been seen in the last 10 years ago. However, both Farmaindustria and Apifarma consider that now is exactly the right time to develop a joint strategy which guarantees the three basic pillars supporting a developed and evolved healthcare system.

Firstly, a stable economic and regulatory framework is requested in the medium and long and term, which will allow for setting targets of public pharmaceutical expenditure evolution within a time frame of at least three years; this would be aligned with GDP growth and with pharmaceutical expenditure cost containment measures that respect innovations and it will also be aligned with those of the EU.

Secondly, the document demands that innovations be treated adequately in terms of price and market access. Specifically, the authorities should establish assessment procedures for new medicines which are agile, independent and transparent, acknowledging the dynamics of the innovation process, as well as the fixation of prices which reflects the contributions made by each medicine.

Finally, it insists on achieving a united market, without regulatory fragmentation, in which there is a clear definition of the distribution of powers and that a rigorous exercise of those powers is granted to each of the Administrations (regional and central); with immediate effect, regional measures locally re-interpreting access conditions for new medicines approved by the Central Government should be revoked.

This joint Farmaindustria and Apifarma statement ends by reminding us that, because of its economic potential, the pharmaceutical sector could be an important asset to consolidate the economic recuperation of both Spain and Portugal, taking into account it is one of the sectors that has the three basic leverages of modern economy: production, research and internationalization.