Madrid, March 4th 2014 – Farmaindustria and the MOH signed a Collaboration Protocol today, in Madrid, by which they committed to establish and articulate a collaboration space for both parties, for the fostering and development of their common goals. The Minister of Health, Social Services and Equality, Ana Mato, as well as the President of Farmaindustria, Elvira Sanz, signed this protocol, accompanied by several MOH high level officials, as well as representatives from the Trade Association’s governing bodies.

The Protocol states that the current economic environment makes the collaboration of all concerned agents indispensable in order to contribute to guarantee the sustainability of the National Health System, with the overall goal of improving citizen’s health protection, taking into account the objectives of public deficit control, as well as boosting the sectors’ futures, such as the pharmaceutical industry. Likewise, it acknowledges the efforts made by the pharmaceutical sector, as well as its contribution to the feasibility of the healthcare system.

The document also expressed both parties’ willingness to offer patient access to the best and most effective medicines available, and that this access is granted in the shortest amount of time possible, and in conditions of equality for the whole territory; thus leading to a better quality of National Health Service, to an improvement in patients’ care, and a boost for international industry resident in our country.

The MOH and Farmaindustria agreed to highlight the economic, health, and social importance of medicines in this Protocol, as well as the key role that pharmaceutical policy plays, both for the sustainability of the National Health system, as well as for the competitiveness of a sector of high added value for Spain, as is the pharmaceutical industry.

Fields of collaboration.

Specifically, the Protocol establishes, as fields of collaboration, the examination of the reference price system of medicines for human use to achieve savings which are necessary for the System, while respecting the in-force intellectual property rights.

Additionally, it foresees to advance with regards to the functioning of centralized purchase procedures, allowing the active participation of the industry, achieving important savings, while reinforcing the unity of Spanish pharmaceutical market.

It also contemplates to follow-up the medicines’ price and reimbursement model with the aim of accomplishing an efficient and fast access of innovations to patients, maximizing social welfare, and consolidating the sustainability of the National Health System; likewise, the analysis of the monitoring and follow-up of the pharmaceutical expenditure evolution, public hospitals’ debt, and access of patients to innovation through common indicators, taking European standards as a reference.

This covenant also pursues the anchoring of the activity of the pharmaceutical industry in Spain with regards to production, exports and internationalization; qualified, diverse and equal employment; R&D with a special focus in this field both to basic research and to preclinical and clinical ones, taking advantage of the potential offered by public Spanish scientific and hospital infrastructure.

In order to guarantee the fulfilment of all these objectives, a Platform of Dialogue will be created and meet monthly.

During the event in which the Collaboration Protocol was signed, Elvira Sanz, President of Farmaindustria, stressed the support of the pharmaceutical industry to agreements, collaborations, understanding and common goals with healthcare authorities, assuring that this Protocol satisfies some of the historical aspirations of the Spanish pharmaceutical sector, acknowledging collaboration environments, while building specific working mechanisms.

Particularly, she referred to the difficult situation that the sector is going through during that last few years, as a consequence of the adjustments made in order to guarantee the sustainability of the NHS, which have taken the public pharmaceutical expenditure in pharmacies to 2004 levels, though assuring that the moment had come to achieve a new balance, adjusting the expenditure’s pace to that of the economy.

Lastly, she highlighted the research and innovative vocation of the pharmaceutical industry in Spain, its industrial and economic activity, as well as its willingness to serve both society and patients. “We are a realistic sector, we have sacrificed and committed to long term objectives, thus, this Protocol embodies and represents an important step in the right direction”, she concluded.

Additional information.
Farmaindustria’s Communications department
Ph.:91.5159350
E-mails: dgil@farmaindustria.es; blozano@farmaindustria.es
http://prensa.farmaindustria.es